Public wise, there are not many happy campers in South Whitehall this week. Passage of the large Ridge Farm housing project, at the corner of Walbert and Cedar Crest, has angered many objectors.
Come January, with one exception, there will be a brand new board of commissioners. Unfortunately, the one remaining, Tori Morgan, is IMO Wehr's dam's biggest enemy... Put another way, she is the Wildands Conservancy's best friend. As an advocate for Wehr's Dam, I had no doubts that it was she who assured the Wildlands Conservancy that their plan to demolish the dam would be pushed through by the commissioners back in 2014. As I outlined in previous posts, the township is now essentially conspiring with the Wildlands to undue the will of the voters, who had approved a referendum to save the dam.
I'm not very appreciated at municipal meetings. Although I would prefer to be diplomatic, usually whatever brought me there has me agitated before I stand up. South Whitehall has a special treat for those who wish to be heard, their courtesy of the floor is at the end of the meeting. By then I must wipe the foam off my mouth before I speak.
The newly elected commissioners (and one appointed) may be having second thoughts.
If it's almost a brand new Board of Commissioners, it seems like an opportunity to contact some of those new Board members now and impress upon them the need to put the people first at public meetings, and move courtesy of the floor (for non-agenda items) to the beginning of the meeting.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a wise move for fresh politicians and a great opportunity to show that they know who they serve.
The policy of making people wait to speak at the end of meetings should be tossed to the side (as it has in most other municipalities), and a new era of transparency and putting the public first should begin.
Moving courtesy of the floor is an easy first step.