It is very interesting reading all the dialogue on this issue. I do not
have time to respond to each and every one of the e-mail's I am getting
these days but thanks to all for taking the time to write.
It was explained last night that enforcement of this policy has been going on
since July of '91 when the sort of speech MPRB wished to regulate was
recognized by park officials or complained of by others; of course this
has been
spotty over the years (not explained last night, but alluded to by some
commissioners in describing their own campaign activities), but the
longest serving MPRB
spoke who spoke (I believe) said that this sort of enforcement existed since
he came on board but a few years after the regulation went into effect.
Michael Schmidt, General Manger of Operations and Recreation who is the
person in the room on the PB here the longest. Just for everyone's
information this huge document of 1991 was created in Response to the
shoreline and development battles that were very intense and threatening to
many. in the late 80's and early 90's. Ask some of your Southwest friends
if they can tell you about those battles. I kind of came in (1990) in the
middle of those battles. A refresher on that struggle might be a sidebar
for the Southwest Journal to put out.
For Dann Dobson: I took no notes, but one motion from Commissioner Marie
Hauser This was Vivian Mason , not Marie addressing John Gurbin's actions
in the Jason Stone incident failed to pass
(with only her one yes vote, I think).
ay: I seconded that motion for discussion and not one person could vote for
her resolution because it had lots of parts in it and not everyone agreed
on all of them. The silence was deafening, I must say. It is so rare.
Perhaps someone can tell me if the sign-in sheet for meetings is the same
as the sign-up sheet for the public testimony section of the agenda;
ay: We don't do regular meeting sign- in's. We really only keep track
of speakers. But you bring up a good point - maybe we should have at least
a sign-up sheet notebook (Guest book) that everyone signs.
ay: AN ADDITIONAL NOTE OF INTEREST...
President Olson didn't show up so Erwin had to Chair which meant he gets
out of the loop and also can't make motions. Then Rochelle left when the
discussion started and wasn't there so we were handicapped. Kummer wasn't
there so it basically was Vivian and me up against "the higher powers" -
whomever they were at that moment in time. Even though it ended up Walter
was on the right side on the Freedom of Speech issue.... he was quite the
show last night about those Freedoms. He knows a "hot" potato when he sees
it and when he feels how the wind is blowing. No one wants a lawsuit. And
since a citation wasn't given it is really hard to know exactly what law
was broken. But that is up to those who study this stuff and the ACLU at
this point.
Free Speech and that First Amendment is really complex.
IMHO - On those 3 absent - they better have very good excuses as to why
they weren't in the middle of the fire like everybody else.
On the issues that lots of you have shared about Mr Gurban I think it might
be time to ask the Personnel Committee of the Board to be reinstated and
have an Evaluation of both performance and meeting the Goals of the Board.
All the mudslinging in the world doesn't help if you want some behavior or
job related changes.
I would just like to say that with all of these internal issues and throw
in The Calhoun Sailing Club proposal on the shores of Lake Calhoun. the
DeLaSalle athletic facility saga, keeping up with activities for the youth
this summer, Dutch Elm Disease and Buckthorn, and maintaining a system for
all of you to enjoy --- I am here to tell you there is hardly time left for
campaigning, much less passing out literature and I certainly don't have
time to be arrested.
Most of us on the Board have other jobs besides being a Commissioner. So
will some of you at least volunteer to sleep for me this summer.
Thank you to all of the folks who showed up last night.
Annie Young
citywide Park Commissioner
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