Potential City Charter Change:The throwing of sandals is expressly prohibited
in the City Hall Auditorium.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
PLEASE STAY HOME IF . . .
To All Commission Candidates
Next week, the week of January 5th is a big week in IRB. It’s the time when residents in our community make that all-important decision about serving on our City Commission.
Running for office is a major commitment—certainly not one not to be taken lightly. Commissioners Bert Valery and Terry Wollin have served their two-year terms and their seats will be filled by the top two vote-getters in March. Even if you haven’t agreed with a single one of their decisions, these two are to be admired for the amount of personal time they’ve invested during their terms. Commissioner Valery, in particular, has brought a “good business mind” to the commission—something that will be sorely needed as IRB faces even greater financial challenges in the years to come.
Some residents feel that our elected officials do their community a great service. In reality, it’s a privilege we, as citizens, give to those we trust.
In some cases, the greatest service one could render this community is to STAY HOME instead of pulling a packet and throwing their hat into the ring to run for office.
PLEASE STAY HOME IF…
YOU need a consultant (which our tax dollars pay for!) to read a budget.
YOU haven’t seen the business end of a calculator in a coon’s age.
YOU have no “balls.”
YOU have no analytical skills.
YOU don’t welcome vigorous debate and are more interested in holding hands and singing “Kum Ba Yah.”
YOU have little or no respect for those who don’t agree with you.
YOU have a vision for IRB that includes having your name plastered across the front of a million dollar library.
YOU care more about parks and sea oats than you do about the financial challenges of our residents.
YOU are most interested in keeping “the Harbor Drive crowd” (not all of you!) happy than doing what’s best for the community as a whole.
YOU actually need the money the job pays.
YOU are not inquisitive by nature.
YOU define “micromanaging” as paying attention to the details.
YOU are more interested in “power trip secrecy” than in open government.
YOU are unable or unwilling to check your personal agendas at the City Hall Auditorium door.
YOU have never worked for what you have.
Packets will be pulled. Campaign signs will go up. Promises will be made. And, on March 10th, IRB will decide who amongst us gets the honor of being our voice for the next two tumultuous years.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
(Note: If you'd like to comment on this posting, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of the article and follow the prompts. You may comment anonymously if you'd like. Or, you can always e-mail your comments to irbeheard@cmdinc.net and we'll post them for you!)
Next week, the week of January 5th is a big week in IRB. It’s the time when residents in our community make that all-important decision about serving on our City Commission.
Running for office is a major commitment—certainly not one not to be taken lightly. Commissioners Bert Valery and Terry Wollin have served their two-year terms and their seats will be filled by the top two vote-getters in March. Even if you haven’t agreed with a single one of their decisions, these two are to be admired for the amount of personal time they’ve invested during their terms. Commissioner Valery, in particular, has brought a “good business mind” to the commission—something that will be sorely needed as IRB faces even greater financial challenges in the years to come.
Some residents feel that our elected officials do their community a great service. In reality, it’s a privilege we, as citizens, give to those we trust.
In some cases, the greatest service one could render this community is to STAY HOME instead of pulling a packet and throwing their hat into the ring to run for office.
PLEASE STAY HOME IF…
YOU need a consultant (which our tax dollars pay for!) to read a budget.
YOU haven’t seen the business end of a calculator in a coon’s age.
YOU have no “balls.”
YOU have no analytical skills.
YOU don’t welcome vigorous debate and are more interested in holding hands and singing “Kum Ba Yah.”
YOU have little or no respect for those who don’t agree with you.
YOU have a vision for IRB that includes having your name plastered across the front of a million dollar library.
YOU care more about parks and sea oats than you do about the financial challenges of our residents.
YOU are most interested in keeping “the Harbor Drive crowd” (not all of you!) happy than doing what’s best for the community as a whole.
YOU actually need the money the job pays.
YOU are not inquisitive by nature.
YOU define “micromanaging” as paying attention to the details.
YOU are more interested in “power trip secrecy” than in open government.
YOU are unable or unwilling to check your personal agendas at the City Hall Auditorium door.
YOU have never worked for what you have.
Packets will be pulled. Campaign signs will go up. Promises will be made. And, on March 10th, IRB will decide who amongst us gets the honor of being our voice for the next two tumultuous years.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
(Note: If you'd like to comment on this posting, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of the article and follow the prompts. You may comment anonymously if you'd like. Or, you can always e-mail your comments to irbeheard@cmdinc.net and we'll post them for you!)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
IRB YEAR IN REVIEW
No Thanks for the Memories
The beginning of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the 365 days that preceded it. In 2008, our City Commission:
--Increased the millage rate by such a high percentage that a unanimous commission vote was required.
--Jacked our sewer and solid waste rates by 60%.
--Adopted a new public records policy making it more difficult for residents to obtain information.
--Moderately reduced our police force…although Commissioners Wollin and Valery wanted a more drastic reduction.
--Folded the library underneath the City umbrella instead of keeping it a subleased entity.
--Fondly waved bye-bye as the Friends of the Library, who previously operated the library, walked out the door--no public questions asked--with approximately $80K, ignoring that ALL income associated with the library was, by contract, to be deposited into the City treasury.
--Authorized more legal fees to chase former City Manager Al Grieshaber, even in view of that fact that there is no hope of recovering the total investment.
--Allowed the Whitehurst beach access, the southern entrance to our city, to continue looking like Sanford & Sons’ backyard while IRB’s anemic bottom line staggered under the weight of legal fees associated with an ownership dispute of 7.3 feet.
--Repeated the vote to set the millage rate—not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES—due to procedural errors.
--Continued to waste taxpayer money on the A2K/USF Gulf Blvd. Study, even after the preliminary unveiling of the plan was an absolute abomination.
--Insisted on implementing a new sign ordinance requiring most IRB business owners to spend money bringing their signs up to code at a time when some are just barely hanging on.
--Forced our residents to repay loans that no one apparently authorized without answering pointed questions about who, what, when, where and why.
--Voted 4-1 to approve yet another “surprise” $400K adjustment to the budget from the prior year--well after the year-end close and well after the need for the adjustment was determined.
--Failed to implement (at least publicly) any new systems and/or procedures to keep 2008’s debacle from repeating itself in 2009.
And, here are just a few goodies already on tap for the new year:
--Giving the City Manager position more power when we’ve been unable to keep one for any appreciable length of time.
--Cramming the defunct Beach Management Plan down residents’ throats by “sneaking” it in through new amendments to our City’s master Comprehensive Plan.
Nationally, 2008 has been referred to as the worst year Americans under the ago of 70 have yet to experience. Locally, it's been equally as dismal. Other than a few new dune walkovers, there must be some positive highlights from the past year besides living in the best beach community on the entire Gulf Coast. Aren't there?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
(Note: If you'd like to comment on this posting, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of the article and follow the prompts. You may comment anonymously if you'd like. Or, you can always e-mail your comments to irbeheard@cmdinc.net and we'll post them for you!)
The beginning of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the 365 days that preceded it. In 2008, our City Commission:
--Increased the millage rate by such a high percentage that a unanimous commission vote was required.
--Jacked our sewer and solid waste rates by 60%.
--Adopted a new public records policy making it more difficult for residents to obtain information.
--Moderately reduced our police force…although Commissioners Wollin and Valery wanted a more drastic reduction.
--Folded the library underneath the City umbrella instead of keeping it a subleased entity.
--Fondly waved bye-bye as the Friends of the Library, who previously operated the library, walked out the door--no public questions asked--with approximately $80K, ignoring that ALL income associated with the library was, by contract, to be deposited into the City treasury.
--Authorized more legal fees to chase former City Manager Al Grieshaber, even in view of that fact that there is no hope of recovering the total investment.
--Allowed the Whitehurst beach access, the southern entrance to our city, to continue looking like Sanford & Sons’ backyard while IRB’s anemic bottom line staggered under the weight of legal fees associated with an ownership dispute of 7.3 feet.
--Repeated the vote to set the millage rate—not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES—due to procedural errors.
--Continued to waste taxpayer money on the A2K/USF Gulf Blvd. Study, even after the preliminary unveiling of the plan was an absolute abomination.
--Insisted on implementing a new sign ordinance requiring most IRB business owners to spend money bringing their signs up to code at a time when some are just barely hanging on.
--Forced our residents to repay loans that no one apparently authorized without answering pointed questions about who, what, when, where and why.
--Voted 4-1 to approve yet another “surprise” $400K adjustment to the budget from the prior year--well after the year-end close and well after the need for the adjustment was determined.
--Failed to implement (at least publicly) any new systems and/or procedures to keep 2008’s debacle from repeating itself in 2009.
And, here are just a few goodies already on tap for the new year:
--Giving the City Manager position more power when we’ve been unable to keep one for any appreciable length of time.
--Cramming the defunct Beach Management Plan down residents’ throats by “sneaking” it in through new amendments to our City’s master Comprehensive Plan.
Nationally, 2008 has been referred to as the worst year Americans under the ago of 70 have yet to experience. Locally, it's been equally as dismal. Other than a few new dune walkovers, there must be some positive highlights from the past year besides living in the best beach community on the entire Gulf Coast. Aren't there?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
(Note: If you'd like to comment on this posting, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of the article and follow the prompts. You may comment anonymously if you'd like. Or, you can always e-mail your comments to irbeheard@cmdinc.net and we'll post them for you!)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
TOWN HALL MEETING SET
Wednesday, January 21
Prior to the last election, many residents literally begged for a Town Hall Meeting. The commission, for whatever reason, promptly decided against it--effectively "staving it off" by saying they would consider holding one after the election. Needless to say, one never transpired.
So, the IRB Homeowners Association has, once again, picked up the ball the City dropped and scheduled a Town Hall Meeting for Wednesday evening, January 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. Some have insinuated that sponsoring a Town Hall meeting is somehow not in keeping with the Homeowners Association’s raison d’être of uniting residents. What better vehicle is there for bringing residents together than holding a long-overdue group meeting chaired by an impartial moderator?
Resistance by this commission to schedule a similar event themselves speaks to the secrecy by which this current group has operated over the last two years. This resistance in addition to the implementation of a more-restrictive Public Records policy has served only to further hamper the efforts of residents to obtain public information they have a right to. If it takes a City employee more than 15 minutes to dig up the records, the resident must personally foot the bill for the staff member’s time in order to gain access to the information. The new rules also apply to the commissioners themselves. The folks who are your "mouths" in our local government, in essence, voted to limit the amount of information they have access to, at a time when financial misdeeds cry for more answers.
The bottom line is that the upcoming Town Hall meeting is a much-needed, positive step toward lifting the veil of IRB secrecy and returning openness to our local government here in IRB.
How do you feel about the Homeowners Association holding a Town Hall Meeting? Will you attend?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
Prior to the last election, many residents literally begged for a Town Hall Meeting. The commission, for whatever reason, promptly decided against it--effectively "staving it off" by saying they would consider holding one after the election. Needless to say, one never transpired.
So, the IRB Homeowners Association has, once again, picked up the ball the City dropped and scheduled a Town Hall Meeting for Wednesday evening, January 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. Some have insinuated that sponsoring a Town Hall meeting is somehow not in keeping with the Homeowners Association’s raison d’être of uniting residents. What better vehicle is there for bringing residents together than holding a long-overdue group meeting chaired by an impartial moderator?
Resistance by this commission to schedule a similar event themselves speaks to the secrecy by which this current group has operated over the last two years. This resistance in addition to the implementation of a more-restrictive Public Records policy has served only to further hamper the efforts of residents to obtain public information they have a right to. If it takes a City employee more than 15 minutes to dig up the records, the resident must personally foot the bill for the staff member’s time in order to gain access to the information. The new rules also apply to the commissioners themselves. The folks who are your "mouths" in our local government, in essence, voted to limit the amount of information they have access to, at a time when financial misdeeds cry for more answers.
The bottom line is that the upcoming Town Hall meeting is a much-needed, positive step toward lifting the veil of IRB secrecy and returning openness to our local government here in IRB.
How do you feel about the Homeowners Association holding a Town Hall Meeting? Will you attend?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
Sunday, December 28, 2008
CESSPOOL'S SHALLOW END
Introducing “Fact Fixer”
Those of you who refuse to visit “the other” Web site dealing with IRB politics--you really should. IRBeHEARD was recently referred to on that site as a cesspool of unsubstantiated allegations. Ironically, that site's very same posting was riddled with so many inaccuracies that it's impossible to tackle them all in one shot.
Thus…the birth of a new feature on IRBeHEARD--FACT FIXER--which will appear on a somewhat regular basis…and is designed to refute questionable IRB information published elsewhere.
Here’s a start…
STATEMENT: IRBeHEARD carries commentary on what goes on in IRB.
TRUTH: Info posted on IRBeHEARD is supported by a careful review of public records and a first-hand account of commission meeting activity. I attend as many meetings as my time permits--in person--and do not rely on the secret reports of "moles" for information.
STATEMENT: IRBeHEARD is a mouthpiece for former Mayor Bill Ockunzzi.
TRUTH: Comments on IRBeHEARD, whether fairly or unfairly, have sometimes been critical of Ockunzzi. IRBeHEARD, as it is billed, is “for IRB residents who have something or nothing to say about anything and everything.” Unlike other Web sites and blogs that don't allow comments, IRBeHEARD is a mouthpiece for EVERYONE in IRB--and yes, that does includes Mr. Ockunzzi.
STATEMENT: Former City Manager Al Grieshaber racked up 5,000 miles on the company vehicle while looking for a new job.
FACT: IRB has spent an unbelievable amount in legal fees going after a relatively small sum, the result of an admitted mistake by our former City Treasurer. And, the commission recently signed on for even MORE fees when authorizing the City Attorney to take this non-hunting doggy to trial at a time when IRB's financial picture is the bleakest in its history. Attempts by residents to get a handle on the exact amount of legal fees paid for by our tax dollars have been unsuccessful.
STATEMENT: The meeting to interview potential City Finance Directors is this Monday night, December 29th.
FACT: According to the online city calendar (which the "other source" obviously didn't double-check!) and the meeting agenda released last week by city staff, interviews for potential Finance Directors are scheduled for Monday MORNING at 9 a.m.--effectively precluding input from 78.5% of our residents who, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, are employed as wage or salary workers.
Check back on IRBeHEARD for more FACT FIXERS in upcoming editions and verify the information for yourselves. You won't need a GPS to find the exact location of the true cesspool, which I highly recommend you read nonetheless.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
Those of you who refuse to visit “the other” Web site dealing with IRB politics--you really should. IRBeHEARD was recently referred to on that site as a cesspool of unsubstantiated allegations. Ironically, that site's very same posting was riddled with so many inaccuracies that it's impossible to tackle them all in one shot.
Thus…the birth of a new feature on IRBeHEARD--FACT FIXER--which will appear on a somewhat regular basis…and is designed to refute questionable IRB information published elsewhere.
Here’s a start…
STATEMENT: IRBeHEARD carries commentary on what goes on in IRB.
TRUTH: Info posted on IRBeHEARD is supported by a careful review of public records and a first-hand account of commission meeting activity. I attend as many meetings as my time permits--in person--and do not rely on the secret reports of "moles" for information.
STATEMENT: IRBeHEARD is a mouthpiece for former Mayor Bill Ockunzzi.
TRUTH: Comments on IRBeHEARD, whether fairly or unfairly, have sometimes been critical of Ockunzzi. IRBeHEARD, as it is billed, is “for IRB residents who have something or nothing to say about anything and everything.” Unlike other Web sites and blogs that don't allow comments, IRBeHEARD is a mouthpiece for EVERYONE in IRB--and yes, that does includes Mr. Ockunzzi.
STATEMENT: Former City Manager Al Grieshaber racked up 5,000 miles on the company vehicle while looking for a new job.
FACT: IRB has spent an unbelievable amount in legal fees going after a relatively small sum, the result of an admitted mistake by our former City Treasurer. And, the commission recently signed on for even MORE fees when authorizing the City Attorney to take this non-hunting doggy to trial at a time when IRB's financial picture is the bleakest in its history. Attempts by residents to get a handle on the exact amount of legal fees paid for by our tax dollars have been unsuccessful.
STATEMENT: The meeting to interview potential City Finance Directors is this Monday night, December 29th.
FACT: According to the online city calendar (which the "other source" obviously didn't double-check!) and the meeting agenda released last week by city staff, interviews for potential Finance Directors are scheduled for Monday MORNING at 9 a.m.--effectively precluding input from 78.5% of our residents who, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, are employed as wage or salary workers.
Check back on IRBeHEARD for more FACT FIXERS in upcoming editions and verify the information for yourselves. You won't need a GPS to find the exact location of the true cesspool, which I highly recommend you read nonetheless.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
Friday, December 26, 2008
WHO IS THAT MASKED BLOGGER
Anonymity Argument
IRBeHEARD accepts anonymous comments to postings. And, as a result, some have leveled criticism our way.
When this blog was established over a year ago, there was an option of accepting or rejecting anonymous comments. I thought about it long and hard before deciding to allow any and all comments—regardless of whether or not an identity was assigned.
First and foremost in my mind when making this decision was what some have referred to as the “IRB Fear Factor.” More than a few citizens have expressed reticence to voice their true opinions about their city government, which is the primary reason I launched this blog in the first place. By granting asylum through anonymity, I intended to encourage those who would otherwise have just kept quiet to share their thoughts and concerns without fear of retribution or retaliation.
Secondly, I felt that our resident readers had enough brains in their heads to read comments and decide for themselves whether or not to put any stock in them. I expected some narrow-mindedness…but it has well exceeded my expectations.
Many of us—including yours truly—have taken a slam or two upside the head in the comments on this blog, on other blogs/Web sites, in mass e-mails and sometimes even in a public forum. I, for one, am constantly accused of being overly critical and never doing anything positive for the community. After spending two and half years volunteering my time working with a great group of people on the Indian Rocks: As It Was pictorial history book, serving on the board at the Historical Museum, and attending as many commission meetings as my schedule permits—that’s a little tough to take sometimes. But, I can’t change how others feel. And, being fair, I probably have been a little too critical at times.
I personally detest censorship in any way, shape or form, which admittedly crept into my thought process as well. What is objectionable to one person may well be palatable to another. I simply was not comfortable sitting “on high” and being the decider of what should or shouldn’t be read by our entire community.
A recently posted comment on IRBeHEARD alluded to our good friend Leo being pressured not to continue writing negatively about IRB. I certainly hope that isn’t the case. Leo has done more to bring this community together than most would ever give him credit for. He effectively flushed certain issues out in the open and encouraged people to talk about them. Perhaps we should be thanking him instead of kicking him in the butt at every turn. Am I in total agreement with everything Leo writes? Hell no. But I applaud his talent and would never poo-poo his work simply because I may not always buy into his content. Those not capable of reading "vintage Leo" and making their own decisions are, in reality, more afraid of themselves that they are of Mr. Coughlin.
The standard response to anyone who posts anything negative on IRBeHEARD meets with the same third-grade response: “Stop being part of the problem. We have enough of those here in town.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement...only I consider the problem to be those who make statements like that! If encouraging folks to listen to all sides of an issue and learn more about how their local government operates creates a problem, then I guess I am part of the problem.
When the subject of the IRBeHEARD blog comes up, I’ve heard some emphatically say “No, I don’t read the blog.” I can only conjecture that these blog haters never read anything they don’t agree with and don’t really care what their neighbors have to say—unless they are “total agreement clones” of themselves. In the barn I’ve been so arrogantly accused of being raised in, we call that ignorance.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
IRBeHEARD accepts anonymous comments to postings. And, as a result, some have leveled criticism our way.
When this blog was established over a year ago, there was an option of accepting or rejecting anonymous comments. I thought about it long and hard before deciding to allow any and all comments—regardless of whether or not an identity was assigned.
First and foremost in my mind when making this decision was what some have referred to as the “IRB Fear Factor.” More than a few citizens have expressed reticence to voice their true opinions about their city government, which is the primary reason I launched this blog in the first place. By granting asylum through anonymity, I intended to encourage those who would otherwise have just kept quiet to share their thoughts and concerns without fear of retribution or retaliation.
Secondly, I felt that our resident readers had enough brains in their heads to read comments and decide for themselves whether or not to put any stock in them. I expected some narrow-mindedness…but it has well exceeded my expectations.
Many of us—including yours truly—have taken a slam or two upside the head in the comments on this blog, on other blogs/Web sites, in mass e-mails and sometimes even in a public forum. I, for one, am constantly accused of being overly critical and never doing anything positive for the community. After spending two and half years volunteering my time working with a great group of people on the Indian Rocks: As It Was pictorial history book, serving on the board at the Historical Museum, and attending as many commission meetings as my schedule permits—that’s a little tough to take sometimes. But, I can’t change how others feel. And, being fair, I probably have been a little too critical at times.
I personally detest censorship in any way, shape or form, which admittedly crept into my thought process as well. What is objectionable to one person may well be palatable to another. I simply was not comfortable sitting “on high” and being the decider of what should or shouldn’t be read by our entire community.
A recently posted comment on IRBeHEARD alluded to our good friend Leo being pressured not to continue writing negatively about IRB. I certainly hope that isn’t the case. Leo has done more to bring this community together than most would ever give him credit for. He effectively flushed certain issues out in the open and encouraged people to talk about them. Perhaps we should be thanking him instead of kicking him in the butt at every turn. Am I in total agreement with everything Leo writes? Hell no. But I applaud his talent and would never poo-poo his work simply because I may not always buy into his content. Those not capable of reading "vintage Leo" and making their own decisions are, in reality, more afraid of themselves that they are of Mr. Coughlin.
The standard response to anyone who posts anything negative on IRBeHEARD meets with the same third-grade response: “Stop being part of the problem. We have enough of those here in town.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement...only I consider the problem to be those who make statements like that! If encouraging folks to listen to all sides of an issue and learn more about how their local government operates creates a problem, then I guess I am part of the problem.
When the subject of the IRBeHEARD blog comes up, I’ve heard some emphatically say “No, I don’t read the blog.” I can only conjecture that these blog haters never read anything they don’t agree with and don’t really care what their neighbors have to say—unless they are “total agreement clones” of themselves. In the barn I’ve been so arrogantly accused of being raised in, we call that ignorance.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)