Recent meeting shows council’s colors
Published 12:49 am Friday, October 3, 2008
A glimpse into the soul of government. That’s what the audience saw at last Tuesday’s council meeting. If you missed it in person, you can catch it on North Bend’s cable television coverage of the meeting airing daily for the next week. With the controversial cell-phone ordinance set to be discussed, a group of North Bend’s business community and citizens were prepared to let the council know exactly how they felt about the proposal. The people were denied the satisfaction of a quick demise for the ordinance, as the item was pulled from the evening’s agenda as the first order of business. Citizens were still allowed to speak, but the pleas for an end to the widely criticized proposal fell on deaf and defiant ears. Not only were the individuals condescendingly “thanked” for their input, but they were also treated to comments from the council about how they simply didn’t understand the issue and they needed to be re-educated on the topic.
The debate moved from cell phones to using hearing examiners for quasijudicial proceedings and the fur started flying immediately. As near as this observer can tell, the council is in two camps. First, the “I-want-all-the-power” crowd. You know, the group that can’t help gloating over bypassing the voters and doing whatever they want to do with public funds. Second, the “I’d-like-all-decisions-to-be-made-by-the-hearing-examiner-so-I-can-advocate-for-my-causes-and-make-everybody-hire-lawyers-to-appeal-decisions-in-Superior-Court” group. It’s tough to cheer for either side, and as taxpayers, the best we can hope for is mutually spontaneous political destruction and starting over from scratch.
The night was not without its lighter moments, though. At one point Mrs. Webber admitted that she and fellow council members had been “biased” during the Tollgate quasijudicial matter. Say it isn’t so! Mr. Sollitto claimed personal offense and protested vigorously that he had remained unbiased. Mrs. Webber apologized, citing her obvious misinterpretation of Mr. Sollitto’s wearing of a cow suit and waving a sign for Tollgate during the election as proof of his true allegiance.
Then there was the topic of a rogue tree wantonly destroying a historically accurate Masonic sign on the facade of a downtown building on the council’s concerns list. A task force of our best and brightest have not yet been able to bring resolution to this pressing issue, according to Mr. Sollitto. Here’s a freebie council, get a pair of historically significant pruning shears and trim the branches on the tree! Next time you will have to hire a consultant.
Ross Loudenback
North Bend
