HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-09-21 Public Comment - M. Brown - Board ConsolidationFrom:Marilee Brown
To:Agenda
Cc:Ralph Zimmer
Subject:Aug. 10, 2021 Agenda Item J and Resolution 5326
Date:Monday, August 9, 2021 5:35:11 PM
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Dear Commissioners and Mayor,
I am Vice Chair of PTS and have been authorized by our Chair to write the following letter regarding
Action Item J in the staff memorandum and Resolution 5326. While we appreciate the mammoth
task you have undertaken we feel compelled to make the following observations:
A. Community Engagement Plan was never implemented – the Strategic Plan priorities for 2021
included recognition of the “City commitment to broadening and deepening the engagement of the
community in local government”. The Engagement Plan carefully laid out how engagement was to
proceed including the allowance of discussion between attendees.
1) However, there has been no community engagement per the engagement plan either in gathering
comments from the citizens or in a gathering of all the committees in a work session regarding the
consolidation of Boards. In fact we have been isolated from each other.
2) Each of the staff or mayoral proposals have given us only 4 days or less to review and no time to
run them by our membership in a meeting to become “one voice” prior to a commission decision.
Most of the committees have not viewed or discussed the Resolutions and their components which
we only saw 3 days ago. Don’t you think saying adjustments will be made later after your vote on
such important documents is putting the cart before the horse?
3) Some of the Committees were never even talked to by the manager as he claimed at the last
hearing (BABAB divulged this in their meeting last week) and our chair only talked to him about
why we were suddenly included in a super board just days before June 22 – certainly not about what
we actually do in our committee or how we might be combined effectively.
B. There are major omissions from the “Purpose” in the Resolution for the Transportation Super
Board. These are some but not all of the omissions which need serious consideration from all the
combined Boards:
1) Addressing and solving Citizen complaints (not just advising the Commission on Policy).
2) Interfacing where appropriate with the MDT and the County
3) Interfacing with other committees and staff such as the police to inform each other on safety,
education, engineering etc.
4) Helping to set project priorities in the City Budget
C. Legal issues with the City resigning from or dissolving PTS. The manner of your proposed
elimination of PTS is against the Interlocal agreement that was registered with the Attorney General.
Number 11 in the agreement states that “Should one of the governing bodies wish to withdraw as a
participant in this agreement, such withdrawal shall be made at the end of the fiscal year of the
organization”. The fiscal year date of June 30th 2022 conflicts with the November 2021 deadline in
the City proposed Resolutions. It also assumes that the County Commission and the School Board
will agree with the City to completely dissolve PTS as early as November before a new MPO
Transportation Board is formed.
Suggestion: Due to the omissions from the Resolutions and the lack of community engagement to even
discuss the Resolutions, we sincerely hope that you are willing to table the vote until committees are
able to gather and give you well thought out input.
Please don’t put the cart before the horse by saying that the Commission will adjust things later. This is too
important. Let’s fully vet the consolidation with at least those that are presently serving on the
Boards if not the community at large. At the very least, please amend Resolution 5326 to reflect
comments on B and C above.
Thank You,
Marilee Brown, Vice Chair PTS (Pedestrian Traffic Safety Committee).