From: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: [UC] The UCD Board and community reps
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 07:44:12 -0400
Has anyone anything else to add about the civic associations'
representative choosing process?
YES!
As you all probably know, I'm Treasurer of Cedar Park Neighbors, and have
been so since 1996. I cannot speak as to the procedure by which our current
UCD representative, Dorothy Berlind, was seated, or when her term is due to
expire, because I honestly have no recollection or knowledge. I can,
however, speak to historical events that occurred back in 2000 and 2001. I
am not saying that the process is still being used because, again, I
honestly do not know.
In 2000-2001, the University City Community Council was very active. UCCC
is a coalition of community associations and special interest groups. I
along with Mike Hardy and Melani worked on writing the bylaws when the group
formed around 1997. By 2000, the members were Powelton Village, Cedar Park,
Garden Court, Walnut Hill, Squirrell Hill, and Spruce Hill, along with
groups like UC Historical Society, UC Pride, and Friends of Clark Park.
Spruce Hill resigned from the group because of the controversy over what was
to become the Penn-Alexander School catchment area.
During 2000-2001, there was a major controversey between UCCC and UCD
because UCD insisted that each community association send the names of three
people as "nominees" to the UCD Board, and UCD would then "select" which of
the three would represent that association. The then-President of Squirrell
Hill was one of the vocal members of the UCCC, and he was adamant, as was I
and others, that UCD was not going to select who was going to represent the
community associations.
When it came time for CPN to decide, I and another CPN Board member who was
active in UCCC insisted to the CPN Board that we should not send three, and
have UCD select our representative, but instead send only the representative
that we wanted. I was out-voted because the opinion was put forth that it
was "better to have a seat at the table" and three nominees was then
requested. I and my co-militant nominated each other as two of the
nominees, but were out-voted.
Again, this is what I know about the original UCD community rep selection
process. Whether that is still the case today I don't know. But I will go
on record as saying that that was what was done in 2000-2001.
Karen Allen
From: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: [UC] The UCD Board and community reps
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 07:44:12 -0400
Folks, something else came out yesterday that is very indicative of the
underlying problem with UCD. The Councilwoman told everyone that her staff
member, Marty, was removed from the UCD Board. Later, Glenn Bryan, with
whom she has worked, was also either removed or not permitted on the Board.
We don't know anything about how Penn real estate and its corporate
partners choose this body and they can change it at will.
Mr. Lewis Wendell, at one point yesterday, asserted that all the civic
associations have Board members on the UCD Board. A civic association
leader leaned over to me and gave me a little hearsay.
She suggested that the UCD picked or suggested the civic association
representatives and not some internal voting process after some discussion
by the members.
Has anyone anything else to add about the civic associations'
representative choosing process? Are their people in the associations that
have UCD Board representatives that can confirm or deny if there were
appropriate discussions to choose your representatives? Did you find out
that you had a Board representative but had not heard of any process for
choosing? Can anyone describe an internal choosing process?
I know that with all of the UCD initiatives, it is a very strict UCD policy
that UCD handpicks the "community" representatives and may close out all
stakeholders suspected of not rubber stamping the planned agenda. So
although I haven't been on the Board of any of the civic associations
except FOCP, the brief story from the civic association leader sounds
believable to me.
In one of their first initiatives, the revitalization of Clark Park, I
experienced this closing out of stakeholders as I was repeatedly barred
from the steering committee. At the time, I was leader of one of the
largest organized stakeholder groups in the park. Park groups were
generally uninvited or barred from the steering committee.
If anyone can add to the understanding of choosing UCD "community reps,"
thank you.
Cedar Park, Spruce Hill Civic Association, Powelton Village, Garden Court
and Walnut Hill have a representative listed on the UCD web site. Can
anyone from SHCA, for example, talk about the discussions to send Barry.
Did anyone run against him? What was the vote count? When was the vote?
Sincerely,
Glenn
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