12/08/2009 Commissioners Meeting

Let me start by saying this 9 a.m. schedule for a meeting isn’t working to well for me. I was late again getting to the meeting because my morning schedule conflicts with it. The meeting was still going at 10:45 a.m. when I had to leave because of another commitment.
They just started discussing the flood plain ordinance when I arrived.  It sounded like the mayor and commissioners were all sensitive to the idea that our city has enough problems with floods without adding anything to the ordinance that might create the possibility of more flooding.

There was a lady at the meeting who spoke out against the language in the ordinance that is being drafted. She made some very good points. I’m sorry for not remembering her name, but it was apparent she had researched the matter very throughly and knew what she was talking about. She raised a very valid point saying the language in the new ordinance seemed to imply ways to build in the flood plain fringe instead of just saying No Building In the Fringe period!

I must say she and another lady both were very convincing. The mayor ask that the two men from the company that is working for the city to draft the new language have a separate meeting with the two ladies. Hopefully this will happen and the new language will be clear and say “No Building and No Exception. That way a room full of lawyers can’t pick it to death and find a loophole for someone to build in the flood fringe. There is plenty of land for future expansion of our community outside the flood fringe area it was stated.

The next issue was deciding on who the city was going to use for city employees health benefits for 2010. There was several city employees attending the meeting to hear what was going on.
It seems several companies were asked to bid on a health benefit package, but the city only got two responses. Again this was a lengthy presentation to city officials on the proposed options for city employees.

After hearing all options open to them at this time, city officials decided to stay with the same company temporally for the first six months of 2010. During that time they will explore other options. Bottom line insurance premiums were going to be about 9 ½% higher next year. It was decided that employees would be response able for 50% of the increase and the city the other 50%.

I have no idea what other issues were discussed because the above two items consumed all the time I was present at the meeting. 
I still am waiting for answers from city officials on my questions dated 8/25/2009 about the ABC administrator issues? Mayor Thronton acknowledge this at the 11/24/2009 meeting but they are still dragging it out for unknown reasons! 
I still want city officials to address items I suggested in my letter to them about putting city financials on their website. I will continue asking questions and sooner or later they will have to answer them.......

Until next time,