While I do not agree with all the actions of our township leaders, I do know they are not the villains that many people are trying to make them appear. Spend five minutes speaking with them and you will see that they genuinely care about our community. They are our neighbors and want a great community to live, work, and pray as we do. They want a great place to raise their kids and grandkids just as we do. If they were villains, then they wouldnt have woken up back in December and January when there was public outcry over the plans at 200 Baldwin. They could have proceeded with the iconic building, but realized they did not have their finger on the pulse of the public as they thought. That woke them up and they realized that they needed to get a better handle on what the public wants and desires. They held public input meetings. They conducted an online survey. They spoke to the business community. They received hundreds of letters with thoughts and suggestions from residents. They then took this information and put a new proposal together with their findings. They also heard loud and clear that the public wanted all of this to be tied to a public vote. In order to put something like this on the ballot it must be tied to a bond proposal (whether they use the money or not) which is what we will be going to the polls for tomorrow. Many ask why this proposal doesnt contain more specifics, like drawings or budgets. First off, they learned the hard way with 200 Baldwin Street. They spent a great deal of money on architectural drawings for something that, in the end, we did not want. Although it was determined that a new library, senior/community center, downsized township office, and farmer’s market was desired from residents that participated in public input, it was also asked to be voted on. I don’t think any of us would be happy that they would have spent more money on architectural drawings and plans until the public has voted for it. Lastly, it was stated that if the public does vote to proceed with the proposal then the township will work with the public through more public input meetings and focus groups to determine the more granular specifics of the various elements of the project. This is another reason why this is “up to $19 million”. Tomorrow we get to decide whether we want to proceed with the proposal. It’s up to the voters to determine whether the proposal developed from public input is right for us. Again, if our township leaders were villains, they did not need to ask our approval to spend up to $19 million for this project. They could have approved this project, including the tax increase, without a vote. Instead they have done the right thing by listening to the public and putting this proposal on the ballot. I urge everyone to stand out, be positive, and make a difference. We cannot build barriers of us versus them. I will admit that I had never attended a township board meeting prior to December of last year, but I have regularly attended them since (often one of only 3 or 4 other residents). The plans for 200 Baldwin Street woke me up as a resident. It woke me up that we as residents must be active in our community and get to know our township leaders. We cannot complain if we just let things happen (and getting involved doesnt mean posting behind Facebook). You probably already know how I will be voting and in case you haven’t figured it out, my wife Tania and I will be voting “yes”. Why would I vote for something that could be up to $19 million when I strongly opposed $8.1 million? There is no comparison between these two, it’s not apples to apples. The 200 Baldwin Street project was all about the “iconic offices”. The new proposal is about improved services that we all can take advantage of, plus it will help revitalize a depressed area of our community that will spark further development. Regardless of your decision, please get out and vote tomorrow!
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 03:25:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015