I like this. I'd also say that as a cab driver and a person who patronizes the Hard Times Cafe, I've always had a problem with the rediculously uber-authoritarian attitude dispayed by the assistant director of licensing and consumer servicis, Clara Schmitt-Gonzales.
I sat in on a meeting with Taxi industry representatives and the city last year (before the election, while I was still a city council candidate). The issues discussed were moving the Marriott cab stand back on one block to the other side of Nicollet, and the security cameras in the cabs. Ms. Schmitt-Gonzales seemed only interested in telling everyone how things were going to be, and didn't seem to give a you-know-what about the many legitimate concerns of the cab drivers. To her, cab drivers are a problem that need to be controled. Her attitude towards the Hard Times Cafe last year was very similar. Unfortunately, she can't be voted out of office. Tamir Nolley, 6-2, 61b --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > I plan to provide a series of messages in regard > to deficiencies in various areas of Minneapolis > government. With the recent election of certain > officials, who have demonstrated a refreshing > concern about representing the rank and file of > Minneapolis residents, we can all anticipate a > renewed pride in being Minneapolitans. > However, ordinary citizens have a responsibility > for helping our elected leaders, as well as > those who are immediately involved, locate the > governmental problem areas that require attention. > > In this message, I will discuss the chronic > problem of the Office of the City Clerk in > frequently not having provided sufficient notice > of various meetings, including hearings, and > how there was a partial improvement in > providing for the notices of this week of May > twentieth. > > For the Weekly Meeting Schedule of > May 13-17, 2002 there was only an advance > notice of about five and a half hours for the > Ways & Means/Budget meeting. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Subj: Weekly Meeting Schedule of May 13 - 17, > 2002 > Date: 5/13/02 7:42:25 AM Central Daylight Time > > Minneapolis City Council Committees & Functions > Week of May 13, 2002 > > > All meetings are in the Council Chamber, 317 City > Hall, unless noted. > > MONDAY (5/13) > > 1:30 p.m. - *Ways & Means/Budget > > 4:30 - Planning Commission > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > However, this was an improvement over the > timing of the previous week's announcement: > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Subj: City Schedule for Week of May 6 > Date: 5/6/02 10:36:14 AM Central Daylight Time > > MONDAY (5/6) > > 1:30 p.m. - *Community Development > Public Hearings: (1:30) a) North Washington > Industrial Park: > Consider Modification #14 to the Redevelopment Plan > and Modification #90 to > the Common Plan. > b) University Gateway Project (200 Oak Street > SE): Consider > issuance of up to $8,000,000 in non-profit facility > Revenue Bonds for > facility improvements. > > Minneapolis Community Development Agency Operating > Committee follows > Community Development meeting > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > My neighborhood includes the 200 Oak Street > SE location which is about one mile west of my > home. Consequently, I have an interest in this > project because of its location as well as the > public funds that are involved. > > I do not think that giving notice less than three > hours in advance is satisfactory. Why couldn't > the notice had been made by late Friday > afternoon? The Office of the City Clerk may feel > that their notice is not the first notice that this > hearing has had. Let us examine the > possibilities of earlier notices. > > It is my understanding that this particular public > hearing had notices on the following basis: > > - 45-day early notice to the School Board, City > Planning Commission and the neighborhood > group. > > - 30-day transmittal to all interested parties > which includes the three mentioned above > plus some property owners, City Council, > Hennepin County and also anyone else that > has requested notice (for this specific > purpose?). > > - 30-days before the public hearing a notice is > put in both the Star Tribune and the Finance & > Commerce newspapers. > > I don't believe that the above notices would be > very helpful to the typical Minneapolis resident. > > The Office of the City Clerk performs a very > valuable service to Minneapolis residents with > its emailing of city scheduling -- but only when > an adequate length of time is provided for > notices of meetings. > > The newest notice of meetings was sent out > on Thursday, May seventeenth which provides > more Weekly Meeting Schedule advance notice > than I ever recall experiencing: > > "Subj: Weekly Meeting Schedule of May 20 - 24, > 2002 > Date: 5/17/02 3:10:05 PM Central Daylight Time" > > However, an amended notice was issued on > Monday, May twentieth: > > "Subj: Weekly Schedule of 5/20/2002 AMENDED > Date: 5/20/02 10:09:21 AM Central Daylight Time" > > This amended notice announced a Monday > meeting at 8:00 PM (over two hours in arrears) > and other changes, including the addition of a > Saturday meeting. > > I hope that the Office of the City Clerk is able > to maintain the apparent attempt at improvement. > Perhaps improvement may be hindered because > of laxness in getting information to the Office of > the City Clerk in a timely fashion. > > Call the Office of the City Clerk at (612) > 673-2215 or 673-3130 if you are interested in > receiving the Weekly Meeting Schedules by > email. > > In my next "Deficiencies in Minneapolis > Government" message, I will discuss the > problem that the Minneapolis Community > Development Agency apparently has in > identifying and providing information about > its projects. The "University Gateway > Project" will be cited as an example. > > Neal E. Simons > Prospect Park > > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
