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| Media needs to re-evaluate how it runs meetings. |
Nobody wants to go to a meeting and have the same conversation with the same group of people they had just the month or week before. It's frustrating and creates a negative experience towards community service. Worse, is the time people put into these meetings only to see little return. I've been to them and have seen it first hand. I'm not the only one, as I just had a recent conversation with someone who observed the same problem. And that's a problem, because their are a lot of people who bring a wealth of judgement, insight, experience and executive experience, but aren't willing to endure hours of what seems like nothing more than a book club meeting.
I would suggest that Media invested in the time to find a chair that has the credentials with leading and running a committee like this. That's important in drawing people to the group who can make it effective, productive and have the abilities to get to decisions.
These are the types of issues Media has to re-evaluated from the ground up. Participation is what is needed, and it's out there; but people want assurances that their time is of value. These meetings could easily be run in 60 to 90 minutes tops, not 4 hour swirl-a-thons.
When that was announced in chambers at the last council meeting (1/17/13) I got up during the second public and comment privilege of the floor. Pres Hall voiced that he thought I was going to say something about the bridge I said well it's a good thing you are sitting down as I'm not. And then told them (council) I was curious about the Comprehensive Task Force and since my address is Media could I be a part of it. Nope! I/we don't live in the boro - I can come to the meetings but not serve. Not that I would want to run it but as a MEDIA resident who presently continues to support MEDIA businesses, etc would like to become involved. Months ago someone who opposes 2 way 2 lane Third Street Bridge facebooked me and said maybe I/we should move to the boro and maybe I/we would see things differently. I DON'T THINK SO!
ReplyDeleteI agree 100 per cent, Tedman. I've been part of some of those meetings. It is endless rehashing of the same issues disscussed at prior meetings.
ReplyDeleteAt times, the meetings are just window dressing for decisions already decided by Council.
To be honest, you feel like you are being used to puff up the false openness and disingenuous transparency of our local government. So the pols can say, "We have a consensus."
Cindy, you do not live in Media Borough so you cannot call yourself a Media resident, period. The Comprehensive Plan is for Media Borough and the people who sit on the task force must be from Media Borough, as the decisions will impact media Borough residents who pay the 1.0% borough income tax (regardless of where they work). In your post you say you don't live in the "boro" then call yourself a "MEDIA resident". Do you understand that people who live in UP and NP townships, and parts of Middletown Township have Media 19063 addresses but actually do NOT live in the Borough, and therefore are NOT Media Borough residents? You do understand that fact, right? Please get yourself a map of Delaware County.
ReplyDeleteShe is too busy posting her nonsense all over the place to figure it out.
DeleteI can see the veins bulging out of your forehead as you typed that.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness to Cindy, or anybody else who is in 19063 but outside of the borough, there could be a part of the process that includes nearby stakeholders. A vital part of Media borough's economic health needs to come from non-resident visitors / shoppers.
ReplyDeleteI'm agreeing with you MediaMike. Cindy is an interested party in the conversation. 19063 should me something.
DeleteWhy? The Comprehensive Plan would apply to the Borough, within Borough boundaries. The people impacted most by this plan are the people who live in the Borough from whom Media Borough collects an income tax. That income tax will be used in part to put into action any changes required per the revised Comprehensive Plan for the Borough. People who live in Media Borough and thus pay the local income tax should be the only ones involved in consulting and developing the Comprehensive Plan for Media Borough. The Borough should exist and function for its residents and businesses, not for people who like to swing by from Middletown, Upper Providence, et al for Dining Under the Stars or Second Saturdays. Yes, it is important that people from outside the Borough frequent such events and patronize Media Borough businesses, but when it comes to daily quality of life issues impacted by the Comprehensive Plan, decisions on those issues should be left to the people who actually LIVE and/or own businesses here!
DeleteThis Comprehensive Plan Task Force, if picked by this council as the last committee (CAC), has waste of time written all over it.
ReplyDelete"ribbit, ribbit."
Initially I was not not going to respond to Anonymous @ 12:52pm et al BUT as of 11:03pm 2nd February 2013 only 2 of the comment responders have used our given names. Anonymous? Why not show your true and honest name(s)? Who or what do you have to hide???? Just askin'
ReplyDeletego get em!
DeleteMaybe those not using their given names are not attention whores.
DeleteMany people post anonymously because they can't speak "on the record" for fear of getting in trouble at work (especially if they work for the Borough or on a Borough committee and their opinion does not "toe the line"). Also, many of the arguments hear veer towards the illogical, irrelevant and/or turn into attacks of a personal nature. So who would want to put their name on a post and then be subjected to name calling, which has happened on this site. Tedman of late has done a good job of removing or not posting comments which attack people personally, but for a while there were many times when members of Council were called out by name and attacked in writing ("F.U.", "sissy," "A**hole," etc.).
DeleteCindy, posting Anonymously or not, the commenter at 12:52 was pointing out facts which you either do not understand or choose to ignore. Just because your address is "Media" does not give you the right to vote for Borough Council; only Borough residents may vote for council. In the same manner, you cannot serve on the Task Force.
DeleteMedia for Medians! Do the commentators know that everyone who works in the Borough pays the 1% and pay a $52.00 emergency services surcharge on top of that. Unfortunately, the CAC was hampered by the directive not to discuss the legal issues involved or discuss emergency response concerns. The CAC was also instructed not to attach much weight to the opinions of UPT residents and the impression I got at the MBC meetings was that imput from other municipalities was not wanted which,I believe, was shortsighted. The Borough of Media is not a cocoon. It was created to be an accessible location for the county seat. The same is true today, and the Borough benefits tremendously from the economic activity (and tax revenue)associated with being the location of the county seat and from being near affluent suburbs (the people patronizing State St. are not coming from Willow Grove). It works both ways. My quality of life is better because I am near the county seat and a restaurant/shopping district. I believe the 3rd Street project could have been much improved if MBC had reached out to UPT from the beginning rather than saying "stay out of our business". The same goes for the comprhensive plan.
ReplyDeleteDave Daniel
Cindy, come on down. Right now, you are a spiritual resident of Media, for sure. My suggestion:rent an apartment in Media; so you can be a genuine, certified resident. Shut up the naysayers. Then you can vote, get on boards, run for Council, etc.
ReplyDeleteYou have many friends in Media, especially on my block.