All three are getting the Richardson City Council's attention lately, but only one really matters.
In July, at the end of a long council worksession, the council discussed a proposed new utility fee to set up a dedicated fund for storm water drainage operations instead of paying for these operations out of the general fund. The council exhibited what I considered unseemly haste in discussing how they could repurpose the general fund, with redevelopment of the Spring Valley corridor a popular option. I voiced my distaste with the process. If storm water operations is better funded out of a dedicated utility fee than out of general fund, then the general tax rate ought to go down equivalently to make the shift revenue neutral. Anything else gives at least the appearance of a money grab despite all the protestations to the contrary. And if a redevelopment fund is called for, it ought to be presented to the taxpayers as the reason why the checks they write to the City of Richardson (for taxes and fees) are getting bigger.
I called for open discussion of the redevelopment of Spring Valley corridor. Let's give it all the time and attention it requires. Let's fund it openly.
In August, the city council spent nearly two hours reviewing a report on the operation of the city-owned Sherrill Park golf course. The conclusion: Sherrill Park is operating just fine. It's profitable. It's a great example of a public-private partnership.
This time it is Andrew Laska, of the Richardson Heights Homeowners Association, who is calling for more discussion of the redevelopment of the Spring Valley corridor. In an editorial in The Richardson Echo, Laska argues that the city council should quit trying to fix what's already working (Sherrill Park) and spend more time on "real problems" (Spring Valley). I welcome his call to get Spring Valley corridor redevelopment out in the open, on the table, and thoroughly aired. Over the next decade redevelopment is going to be the biggest issue facing Richardson, not our golf courses, not storm water management, not our landfill transfer stations, not transparency in government. The more Richardson taxpayers are educated about the need and involved in crafting solutions, the better for everyone who lives or works in Richardson.
11 comments:
Please detail why redevelopment is more important than anything else?
Yeah, we (Andrew and I) had a good laugh about this at the end of that meeting - "If they spend two hours talking about something that works, how much MORE time will they spend talking about something that doesn't?"
Of course, it doesn't always work out that way. To be fair, it's part human nature - at the beginning of the evening (the Sherrill Park Golf Course was the first unique agenda item), people do tend to spend more time on a subject than on later ones...but it's also the 'fault' - loosely speaking - of one or two candidates in the recent City Council election who kept bringing up all sorts of wild accusations about the Golf Course Fund (my favorite was that Ronny Glanton received a salary of $900,000 per year from the City - simply ludicrous - but not disputed until Ian McCann provided a well-written article in the Morning News on the Golf Fund's finances.
So, perhaps, it's no surprise that the Council spent rather more time than was strictly necessary on Sherrill Park. Wild and frivolous accusations have a way of making an impact on things, no matter how flaky they are.
Bill
"Anonymous" at 8/10/2009 11:21 PM, you ask, "Please detail why redevelopment is more important than anything else?"
My answer to that is because redevelopment is the economic engine that makes all the other things possible -- golf courses, storm water drainage operations, landfill transfer station, even transparency in government insofar as it requires technology to implement.
Bill McCalpin, I think the council reviewing the operations of the golf course is a fit and proper function of the council. As is thoroughly exploring the city's options in encouraging redevelopment of the Spring Valley corridor.
Willy J. laughs at a lot of serious problems. Anonymous ED says open government is not as important as redevelopment. I'll ask, how does ED expect the public to get involved with its business if government is closed to the public? Oxymoron? The single most important component to sound management is open and honest communication, not just talking to hear yourself speak.
"Anonymous" at 8/11/2009 8:45 AM, you distort what I said. I was ranking current problems in Richardson, not general principles of government. I agree with you that open and honest communication is important. Where we probably disagree is on the question of how big a problem open and honest communication is in Richardson currently.
I do think the future prosperity of our city is dependent on redevelopment, in the Spring Valley corridor and other areas in Richardson. That's why I think it's Richardson's most important current issue.
"Anonymous @ 8/11/2009 8:45 AM" posting makes little sense. First, let's discard the obvious cheap shot at what I do or do not laugh at - like most of these brave anonymous authors, he/she uses the cover of night to make comments about people that they don't have the courage to stand up to during the day.
But the comments about Ed and open government and SV development don't make any sense either. The main problem is that it presumes that we don't already have an open government. Hmmmn, as was pointed out in the last election, except for a few situations permitted by State law, all Council meetings are open (do you, Mr. Fiercely Anonymous Warrior, ever attend any?); the decisions made at each formal meeting are posted with a day or so on the website; the budget is online (the new one is here; 5 years' worth of audited financial reports are online here; all the boards and commissions meetings are here; the handouts and audio recordings of meetings are now here; and the webcasts should start with the next meeting.
No, clearly, we already have an open government; in many cases, it's the very people who don't bother attending meetings or speaking to their Council representatives or looking at the information available online who are the most vociferous about "open government".
So Ed is perfectly entitled to look at other things as more pressing issues. Is it Spring Valley? Maybe and maybe not, but if one measures the importance of an issue by how difficult it will be to solve the problem, then Spring Valley may qualify, because urban decay is one of the most difficult things to get a handle on and correct. Even since the Emperor Nero tried a little urban renewal on the City of Rome as he fiddled, governments have wrestled with correcting urban blight, and have failed far more often than they have succeeded, so this issue indeed deserves careful attention!
Bill
After asking the question of why redevelopment is more important, my interpretation is that loosely put, and in a global, kinda macro eco manner I would agree with you that it is important. I asked for specifically what you think that will do for the city?
A city that operates all of it's business-like operations at a deficit. And it's govermental operations...and as Mr K has said many times, always will. And operates the governmental portion of the budget as a people business(payroll making up 75% of the total budget). Oh yeah, and do not forget that the debt service is 37% of the total property tax revenues. So in conclusion, if property tax revenue is $57m and the total budget is $175m, what is the percentage of the total budget that is debt service after the 75% payroll. Got any math whiz's out there who can tell me what is left? Phew!
Where do we get anything done in this city? I did like that part about a rescue boat $3900.
Though I have not read all the documents surrounding the golf course, I find it unusually strange that the standard ops for keeping everyone straight at the table, is the audit and it is not done. Does that mean there are bad things going on, I do not know, but I question that default in management. Audits are required in our charter; local government code calls for it; and even the state and federal governmental books are auditied on a FASB regs and GAAP standards. There are requirements for governmental vendors to open their books for bidding on governmental contracts. Yet our city management doesn't review the processes of the contracts they initiate? Something is odd, maybe not criminal, but oddly omitted.
No one can say something is well managed if you don't look. Don't mow your yard and not look at it. Someone will let you know that it is not well managed!
Storm water issues......they have been talking about this for 30 years. Make note of all the studies and surveys done (during this 30 yr period of time) on the creek behind Waterview, as an example. I guess if you do not have an idea to solve the problems, you can push it forward til it becomes critical to address. Seems silly and not very pro-active. But, as you say redevelopment is more important and I have to agree.
We need the monies generated to repair the things we overlooked/or do not know how to solve. Makes perfect sense to me.......not!
Sorry for the typos in paragraph 2. Ican think faster than I type.
Honestly, after 20 years of neglect under all of the various Slagel administrations, it's great to see this council spend time on redevelopment. Do you think that the blight just happened overnight? The council has spent more time on this topic in the last 2-4 years than ever. It's good that Slagel is continuing the work that Mayor Mitchell began. All4redevelopment
If you believe that the council directs this city, I would have to disagree with you. Mitchell is a good guy and wish he were still mayor. Sad to say, Staff directs this city and there is alot of longevity in that neglect you speak of!
"Anonymous" at 8/11/2009 11:26 AM, thanks for the feedback. I had trouble following your scattershot writing and I don't think it was all the typos' fault.
"Anonymous" at 8/11/2009 12:37 PM, I remember Rhea Allison ran for council four years ago promising to redevelop Richardson Square Mall and the Peek property across Beltline. Both goals were accomplished. Redevelopment needs to be a continuous priority.
"Anonymous" at 8/11/2009 12:47 PM, I don't see the conflict between the council and the city staff that you allege. I suspect you'll enlighten me. ;-)
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