I know it’s over a week since the last city council meeting, but I finally found the time to look at the video* of the Irongate annexation discussion and it was an even worse mess than I remembered. The agreement, defeated last month, was brought back via a parliamentary procedure called a “motion to reconsider.”…
Tag: city council
Council Will Discuss Possible Changes to Meeting Procedures
From a memo attached to the Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting agenda for August 12: 1. 2.04(a)This section indicates that regular meetings of the City Council shall be convened no sooner than 7:00pm. As last meeting illustrated, when the City Council does not have material for a Committee of the Whole meeting, the Council…
City Pay Raises Approved
In reading the agenda for last night’s meeting, I noticed council members were getting set to “reconsider” Resolution 13-56, the same one they shot down last meeting that would have given the contracted attorney a 2% raise. I would’ve liked to have read a summary of the contentious June 24 discussion, but alas! I couldn’t…
Zombie TIF and Other Notes from Last Night
DeKalb’s city council met again with DeKalb’s financial consultants, EPI/Crowe, to consider the latter’s latest report and recommendations. The most important information to pass on to you is that the consultants told the council, at least twice AND in so many words, that the city will enter another financial crisis within five years if it…
Procurement
In its May 2009 report, Executive Partners, Inc. (EPI) recommended the City of DeKalb centralize its purchasing. DeKalb never followed through. Now that the consultants have returned (as EPI/Crowe) they must repeat themselves. Once again I offer a transcription, taken from the April 13 workshop between EPI/Crowe and City of DeKalb officials. And once again…
As We Head to the Final Vote on the Budget
DeKalb’s expenses are outpacing revenues: The city will spend at least $30 million from its general fund, a 5.4 percent increase from this fiscal year. The city’s general fund pays for city personnel, equipment, and contractual services. The city is projecting $31.1 million in revenue for fiscal 2014, a 4.2 percent increase from this fiscal…
Budget Hearing Tonight is Premature
There is going to be a special meeting tonight at 6 p.m. to talk over amendments to the draft budget. Then, during the regular meeting beginning 7 p.m. there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget. Really? Two of the proposed amendments are sizeable, and would set off lots of juggling. (PDF p.…
DeKalb’s Business Friendliness
I am rapidly developing a crush on Larry Kujovich, a member of the group of financial consultants hired by the City of DeKalb. Still working on taking in the whole of the April 13 workshop video, I swooned this time during a discussion of image-building as part of economic development strategy. Use terms like “image…
The Real Reason There’s a “Skating Rink Lady” in This Municipal Election
Last night I was lucky to attend the candidates’ night hosted by the DeKalb Area Rental Association. Candidates running for DeKalb mayor and aldermen participated. Some performances I liked real well, others I didn’t. Later, I realized the people who impressed me the least were the ones promising regular town hall meetings, ward coffee sessions,…
Special Meeting Tonight on Proposed Rental Inspection Staffing
DeKalb city staff want to hire five people and buy four vehicles in their quest to a) ignore recommendations of the Safe/Quality Housing Task Force and b) implement the rental housing licensing and inspection program they’ve wanted all along. According to the agenda backup, start-up costs would come to $135,000 and the annual outlay would…