HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Charter Review 010906AGENDA
CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS
CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2006
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III. ROLL CALL
Members: Leonard Rubin, Chair
Tim Frohling, Vice Chair
Paul Auerbach
Thomas Baird
Terry Brady
David Clark
Gary Fields
Warren Freedman
Don Kiselewski
IV. DISCUSSION
Potential Charter Items
Future Agendas
V. ADJOURNMENT
City of PBG Charter Review Comments Jan 9, 2006
Good evening Charter Review Committee members and thank you for the opportunity to provide these
comments.
Tonight I will give you my concerns, questions and suggestions to improve the City Charter.
I input my thoughts to you in the hope that you will find them endorsable and worthwhile of
incorporation into your future review comments. What I present tonight is founded on both the
experience and reflections of myself and other city residents gained in submitting public comments to
the City of PBG over several years. I have gleaned this: Residents who have enough compunction to
stand up and publicly comment when the occasion demands it usually get only a "Thank You, Next"
from their elected officials. A response, positive or negative, rarely is made at the meeting in which it
is given, and that is what my concern is all about.
This is my concern:
The charter should be reviewed to assure that public comments given by city residents are given a
response at the meeting in which they are issued. If a response is decided to be not possible, a reason
must be given.
These are my questions:
Isn't it meaningful to have the city respond interactively when comments are submitted?
Why can't that be a part of the charter?
Why can't the process be improved regarding a developers' project presentation requesting
endorsement and city residents speaking out against the projects' negative aspects?
Why can't the pros and cons of the process be brought out to stage -front in the decision - making
process and the advantages and disadvantages openly discussed?
This is my suggestion:
Charter Review members should go on record this year and prioritize the improvements that they
believe should be made to the City Charter. Specifically, I urge you to review the charter in the months
ahead with one of your goals being to decide whether city resident comments are treated meaningfully,
and if not, introduce language that will better afford any city resident comments a more adequate place
in the decision - making process.
Please consider these comments to improve the City Charter to better handle and respond to the future
comments submitted by city residents at all city functions. If you believe that I can help you
implement this suggestion, please call on me.
Thank you for considering these comments and I wish you success in your endeavor.
Tom Sosey
149 Bent Tree Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
694 -6820