Just 5 Months...and the Wheels are Coming Off

This blog was scolded for sharing thoughts earlier in the year. We were taken to task for purportedly jumping to conclusions and for not seeing the forest for the trees.

The occasion was a January posting labeled "A Parade of Ignorance," in which we projected that any progressive agenda would be dead on arrival because of a bloc of ignorance.

We trusted our instincts then in reading the tea leaves. We were called "premature." But this council has now served 10% of its term. Our analysis has been borne out by subsequent events and even though this iteration of the Common Council for the City of New Albany has held office for only 152 days, we're prepared to restate that projection based on the evidence at hand.

Perhaps the most telling case was the council's last meeting in May. The most egregious misfeasance came early in that meeting when D1 Dan Coffey "tabled" a motion to authorize the city's pro forma application for federal Community Development Block Grants. D5 Diane McCartin-Benedetti was not in attendance that evening, but from her public comments and subsequent actions as a member of the Redevelopment Commission, it is certainly safe to say that she is marching in lockstep with the senior council member when it comes to lack of common sense.

It's understandable that a neophyte politician might seek out the counsel of a more experienced colleague. It is not that effort that deserves criticism. However, D5 shows execrable judgment in linking arms with Mr. Coffey. Her performance as a council member has been undistinguished so far and shows signs of becoming positively inimical to the best interests of the city and of her constituents in District 5.

The vehicle that is our city council, with D6 Jeff Gahan ostensibly in the driver's seat, is weaving all over the place. The wheels are coming off and the wreck is imminent. McCartin-Benedetti may or may not believe that she is just along for the ride. But she is not doing anything to help steer a solid course to the betterment of New Albany.

At that last meeting, Mr. Gahan placed the CDBG authorization resolution into Mr. Coffey's hands. Instead of introducing the resolution, which under any normal circumstances would be a purely ministerial function, Coffey declined to bring it to a vote.

Setting aside for a moment the parliamentary impropriety of squelching debate on an item properly submitted and approved for the meeting agenda, the substantial impact of that move was to put in danger New Albany's eligibility for the single largest and most effective revenue sharing program available to us. Until that moment it would have been hard to see how any public servant could avoid being pilloried for rejecting federal largesse - money taken from us generally, but then directed toward commonly agreed-upon projects for the core of the city.

Yet, no member of council challenged Mr. Coffey. Not the president. Not the members.

What compelling reason did Mr. Coffey offer to justify this reckless move? Well, according to the minutes of the meeting, it was "because of the laws that were passed by the legislation there were a lot of changes." The council will, apparently, soon have original jurisdiction (instead of just final authority) over certain redevelopment proposals. Despite the fact that two members of the council sit on the Redevelopment Commission, despite the fact that numerous public hearings were held to build the list of possible projects that CDBG money might be used for, Mr. Coffey wanted to consult with his "experts" before putting New Albany's application in.

Thus, New Albany missed a critical deadline. In effect, Mr. Coffey and his colleagues sent a message to the feds, saying "We don't believe in abiding by your stinking rules."

Astute observers will note that Mr. Coffey failed to address, much less permit debate on, which of the myriad projects on the list failed to float his boat. As an inveterate wrecker who fears anything he doesn't understand, Mr. Coffey hid behind process to achieve his substantial goal of loosening the lug nuts on the wheels of the city.

And the council went along with it.

Ironically, the process used was in clear violation of the controlling procedural ordinances and the rules that govern council meetings. It reminds me of the quaint New Albanian custom of treating STOP signs as advisory only.

For tonight's agenda, follow this link (current agenda only). For details of legislation under consideration tonight, follow this link. Hey, Marcey. What's up with that? How can the public get to ordinances up for second reading, or past legislation and tabled ordinances?

News photo credit: NA Confidential