Earlier this year when the community voiced their opinions over the city entrance monuments, there were questions if the issue had been quietly passed by the Emporia City Commission.
As we looked back in our archives there was a trail of news stories that had followed this discussion over the last several years. We believe that there were some things that could have been done to better inform citizens on the issue. For instance, showing conceptual drawings at the beginning of the process would have been helpful in gaining community feedback.
Our town is well served with media and information. At every city county commission meeting, every study session and school board meeting, media attends and then publishes and broadcasts the information in print, on websites, on Facebook and Twitter, translates information into Spanish as well as the information is reported on Emporia’s five local radio stations.
Furthermore, the information is broadcast on TV and stories are sent to the Associated Press. The Gazette has also started a new community service which is streaming video of city and county commission meetings and study sessions, which can be found at emporiagazette.com.
I am not sure much happens without people knowing it.
One issue that I am surprised that has not received much discussion is the Emporia Recreation Center looking at how they are going to start spending their new tax money.
Right now the Emporia Recreation Commission are attempting to come up with a plan for repairing, consolidating or removing current sports facilities or building new ones.
While we have reported these meetings and retreats, it has not generated much community conversation, which would indicate that the community approves of what is happening. Currently the Recreation Commission is talking with architects and soon plans and costs will be presented to the community.
If we can learn anything about the monument issue, it’s that the community needs to be vocal at the planning stage and not when issues go up for final approval.
lowereastside (anonymous) says...
The ERC is a true asset to the community and available for use, at a nominal charge to anyone in the community. The difference between this and the "rocks" is that the "rocks" have no use or value.
March 9, 2011 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
krazykansan (anonymous) says...
Mr. Walker, you said, "If we can learn anything about the monument issue, It's that the community needs to be vocal at the planning stage and not when issues go up for final approval".
Mr. Walker, in your last sentence, should the word "community" be replaced with commission?? Seems more correct to me.
March 9, 2011 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
"We believe that there were some things that could have been done to better inform citizens on the issue."
Correct.
On top of that, it's not just commission meetings that need to be made public; it's committee meetings. So change that last word from "community" to committee.
March 9, 2011 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Mr. Walker, Sir,
I as well as others have / had voiced my / our objections at public Commission meetings to the idea of spending $ 100,500 dollars for, as it was listed on the City budget and I quote " Landscaping at City Highway Entrances ---- $100, 500 " !
Furthermore had I known that this expenditure meant the purchase of " Rocks, Monuments, Memorials, Tombstones " or whatever, I would have been even more vehement and " Vociferous " in my objections !
So, it would seem that the people of Emporia were not as well informed as you, Mr. Walker, and CVB and City Commission, would have us believe ! And this is just a typical, keep the bill paying public in the dark, out of the Loop, until it is to late and the dastardly deed has been done !
I would ask you this Mr. Walker, when was the first time you knew, that " Landscaping at City Highway Entrances " actually meant the purchase of " Rocks, Monuments, Memorials, Tombstones " or whatever and why didn' t you, your paper or the five Radio Stations or local university t.v. station report that the " Landscaping at City Highway Entrances " actually meant the purchase of " Rocks, Monuments, Memorials, Tombstones " !
As far as the recreation commission spending goes ! The county had already voted to raise property taxes and part of that raise was designated to go to the Rec. Commission ! And when has the people ever been able to oppose, repeal or reverse a tax increase decision by any government entity or when has the public been consulted as to whether they want or approve of a property tax increase ? I certainly don' t remember a vote being taken on the current County property tax increase, do you ?
March 9, 2011 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Chris,
Take a look at your paper's reporting on the city commission meeting where the rocks expenditure was approved.
City passes budget with flat mill levy
By Russ Morgan
Thursday, September 3, 2009
After months of discussion, Emporia city commissioners passed the city’s budget for fiscal year 2010 at their regular meeting Wednesday afternoon.
The final budget is the fourth draft commissioners looked at after revisions and public hearings to decide on priorities for the next year. With revenues projected to be five percent less than they were in 2008, commissioners faced a tough task of balancing the budget in the face of a $2.2 million deficit.
It was the commission’s goal to keep the mill levy flat, which meant difficult choices in the balancing process.
The final budget passed Wednesday includes a budgeted surplus of $14,721, not including an assumed 2 percent vacancy rate among city staff throughout the year. That unbudgeted assumption, if it proves correct, will add $220,864 to the general fund surplus. The water fund shows a budgeted deficit of $39,344, the sewer fund a deficit of $1,068,364 and the solid waste fund a deficit of $79,145.
Commissioners also approved two traffic ordinances, one that will change the speed limit on 6th Avenue between Union Street and Street from 20 to 30 miles per hour. The decision comes after a study by city staff showed the median speed in that area was 28.9 miles per hour. The Kansas Department of Transportation conducted an independent study that made the same determination. School zone hours in the area will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The other traffic ordinance approved by commissioners will change Wilson Street and Sherman Street to allow two-way traffic to flow through. The streets, on the east and west sides of Mary Herbert School, were made one-way when the building still served as a school; since the building has been changed into administrative offices, it was determined that the streets no longer need to be one-way only.
No mention of entrance rocks.
March 9, 2011 at 3:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
The Gazette has run a couple of stories on the rec commission plans and there have been comments on the forums. I don't know what it takes to get people to respond. Maybe on stories such as these the Gazette, (as a public service) could list the e-mail addresses of the entity involved for citizen feedback?
March 9, 2011 at 4:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ksnewsie (anonymous) says...
Perhaps the problem is not the message but the messenger (the media). If no one is listening, the message will not be heard. Besides, having the media at every meeting does not mean everything gets reported.
As far as The AP, does it and its members outside of Emporia really care about the monuments? Probably not.
March 9, 2011 at 4:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sail (anonymous) says...
Is there anyone who thinks the tax payers will approve any proposed spending increase....they better come up with a better slogan than a pizza a month,or its for the kids.I predict it might be a decade before Emporia approves a major bond project.The rain water runoff millions will be slight of hand w/o a vote im afraid.
March 9, 2011 at 5 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Sail,
the $ 7 million dollar Rain Water Drainage system repair / upgrade will definately be voted on and approved by the City Commission, just as the Rocks were voted on and approved, by the City Commission and it will be paid for either by " Bonding it out " or with a Rain Water Runoff Fee, which in actuality is another way of "
Nicely Saying " , " We the City Commission will tax you, per say, for an act of God, a.k.a., Rain water runoff, but we will not raise your taxes to do so " !
However those of us, who pay the bills, via, added fees, etc., will be kept out of the decision making loop, as usual ! As that is the way the governing and dicision making of Emporia has been set up to be !
And the only way it will ever change is, if we the voting, taxpaying citizens, get mad, get up, get out , get off our arses and VOTE !
March 9, 2011 at 5:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
There have been city meetings and you voice an opinion and most in the group say no and what does the city commish do. Vote for anyway! Only way to stop this is get out and vote the Rascals out!
March 9, 2011 at 6:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )