Civic Theater
There’s a story called ‘Civic Theater at Its Best’ in the Fall 2007 Planning Commissioners Journal, News & Information for Citizen Planners, where writer Barbara Faga “imagines a future where public participation in the planning process is as entertaining as it is important.”
Locally, the headline story for area planners, citizens interested in land use issues, plan commissioners, and people interested in the workings of local units of government, is that the Monroe County Plan Commission appointed Mr. Gregg Zody to be the Monroe County Planning Department’s new Director!
And the Plan Commission’s torturous meeting last night went from 6p.m. until a bit past 10p.m.. We only had ONE agenda item—-but a quagmire of mind-crushingly tedious last-minute items made the meeting drag on and on and on and on. Commissioners Enright, Newlin, and I raided a roll of candies for sustenance.*
And this meeting took place after the County Council had met from 2p.m. until a bit after 5p.m.! The most exciting thing that happened during that meeting was the passage of a Resolution in which the County Council officially takes over paying our employees’ PERF. That cheerful moment took place shortly after 4p.m.
CATS brings you the live meetings; while it’s hard to imagine anyone watching these meetings in their entirety—- from start to finish—– I do hear that watching local government meetings is a popular activity. Barbara Faga proposes, or envisions, expanding on the popularity of civic broadcasts and higher technologies, in order that citizens can participate live—getting their questions answered in real time.
On another note, it’s time to bake a pumpkin pie in time for Thanksgiving!
Once, a friend told me that the top-most requested program over at CATS was a video of a local little old lady demonstrating how to make a pie crust. I don’t know if that’s still true, but, that is my idea of civic theater.
*Note to self: Bring more Life Savers to Plan Commission meetings…
November 21st, 2007 at 10:56 am
I see no reason why at least one county council meeting this coming year is not a musical. “When your a Democrat, you’re a Democrat all the way, from your first tax bill until your last concern for civic decay.” ” Climb every tax abatement…” “Midnight, will we adjorn before midnight.”
November 21st, 2007 at 11:21 am
Everyone says I love you
The Commishes and the Council do
The planners and the judges and the people on the pew
Says I love you…
from Monroe County Government Production of “Horse Feathers”
Seventy six items to discuss tonight
A hundred and ten page agenda close at hand…
aaaaargh!!
November 21st, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I LOVE the Marx brothers, my favorites of all time. I must now go home and watch Horse Feathers.
Baravelli: I make you proposition. You owe us $200, you pay us $2000, and we call it square.
Wagstaff: That’s not a bad idea. I tell you what … I’ll consult my lawyer. And if he advises me to do it, I’ll get a new lawyer!
November 21st, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Congrats to Gregg! I wish him the best in his efforts at continuing the success the Department has seen in the past. I do indeed miss those four hour one item meetings!
November 21st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Really, truly, you miss those 4-5 hour meetings? Hey, you can watch them online! Please tell me you don’t do that…please…that is way too super nerdy…Dear Texas Planner, We do miss you too! (that is, if I have surmised correctly who the masked Texas Planner is…)
Thanks for sending the congrats; Gregg had a twinkle in his eye at the end of the long day!
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:04 am
Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Jr. is visiting his other family so I am flying solo. I have sushi, cable TV and guitar lessons to catch up on! If all else fails, I will cook the duck I have. Actually, I may fire up the smoker and smoke the duck.
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy