Ok, I'll bite on the Tuesday Meeting. �I went as a representative of District 9 (West 7th/Fort Road Federation) at the request of our Community Organizer, who couldn't attend. �What I found was not the disinterested lot that Matt would describe (although I didn't see him there, maybe he has his own sources), but rather a large group of long-term dedicated citizens who dove into one of the stickiest issues on the citizen participation front and seem to have solved a problem.
The problem, of course, is the way in which the funds designed to foster citizen involvement are allocated among unique neighborhoods that each have distinct problems and strengths. �This was the culmination of about 5 months of dive-into-the-details, get-out-your-calculators hard work by people who have a history of fighting for their neighborhoods for little glory and even less pay. �I know it was hard, and the psychic toll extracted by Repke was palpable - more evidence that these folks worked hard. And like all things that are the result of a vision of fairness, the funding formula is complicated at first glance, but seems to balance what these experienced negotiators valued. �It balances population, jobs, poverty, and non-English speaking levels (with a base level funding so everyone gets some minimum level of support) and does so without running afoul of regulatory guidelines. �The end result is a agreement that will allow the City to allocated much-needed money to organizations that know their parts of the City better than anyone. >From my one-meeting perspective, this seems to have solved a difficult issue that has been simmering for a long time in a way that most are pleased with. �The City Council should take notice of this level of cooperation and hard work by those on the front line of community building and quality of life issues in our city. � Diane Gerth I really live in the West End P.S. I understand the "Snarky Forum Poster" funding formula with negative financial impacts for making fun of District Council efforts was vetoed by the Highland Park representative. _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
