Dear Emmett Carson, I am a businessman on West Broadway. I am also a volunteer Board Member of the WBAC; The West Broadway Area Coalition. There is a quickening of events now on West Broadway, and frankly, the meager planning budget has not kept up with need, nor implementation.
It was reported that the Honorable CM Don Samuels quietly received a check for 300K from the Target Corporation and deposited it with your agency, The Mpls. Foundation. A check that was to be dedicated to "planning" on West Broadway yet is now disappeared, while some unknown people, reportedly keeping "below the radar" , plan how to spend it. I am concerned they may spend it on themselves instead of our Avenue. Reminder: I am a volunteer, Emmett. The WBAC is the appropriate venue for utilizing planning money for the Highest public interests of our Avenue. I will explain. I wish to refer you to an article I wrote and addressed to West Broadway stakeholders. Please look it over closely as you are now a stakeholder. I will not include the additional City pages article for you because I will presume you have already read it. When you finish my article please take the appropriate step of reaching our WBAC Executive Director. And bring the money, Emmett, for the sake of our "Avenue with the Most Potential, West Broadway". Sincerely, Keith Reitman NearNorth Subj: Target takes leave, leaves 300K/ Where will funds land on West Broadway? Dear West Bro. Stakeholders, Though somewhat narrow in scope, the article below, from City Pages, does provide us some news about West Bro. Like the answer to the command, "Follow the money". No doubt 300K will not 'save' our Avenue but it is likely to move it forward. I remind; this public money must be utilized for the highest public good. The only stipulation Target Corp. attached is, it must be applied toward "planning" for West Bro. There have been a lot of 'plans' that have come down the pike in the last 22 years while I was present on the Avenue. Some have been accepted, and are being implemented (roadway and zoning are two, most recently); others seemed to suck money, and gain no traction, nor implementation. I am a volunteer Board Member of the West Broadway Area Coalition. The WBAC is a forum created to bring all stakeholders from our "Avenue with the Most Potential" to the table for problem solving and planning. It has a seasoned, and qualified, one person paid staff, and many volunteers. In fact Volunteer efforts have totaled thousands of person/hours over the years of it's agency. The main goals of the WBAC, in my opinion, are: To field a highly diverse Board representing more diverse interests, cultures, social strata, and our common geography. This Board, through study, research, presentations, and discussions, will act as a crucible for the contentious issues that confront West Broadway Planning. And respond to the transcendent communal needs of neighborhoods that surround West Broadway; as those neighborhoods rely on WBAC at the Avenue. The West Broadway Area Coalition is THE unique facilitator of planning and implementing the highest public interests of our unique and contentious "Avenue with the Most Potential, West Broadway". Isn't it in all our interests to support the WBAC process; and support allocation, in generous measure, of "Target Funds" toward that noble process? Keith Reitman, NearNorth, Property owner and volunteer, West Broadway REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
