In Weatherby Lake that would be new Mayor Jerry Bos...I think, although in Alderman Hoy's chatty email summary of the Board meeting on Tuesday April 15, she mentions Mayor Bos and Mayor "Boss". Could that be a Freudian slip? Apparent newcomers to the scene include "Mrs Beverlee Roberts, Municipal Judge" as well as "City Clerk Gwen Cernac" This and more in her summary. I had the good fortune of having a few friends forward a copy of her email. Although I am a faithful West Ward constituent and subscriber on her list, I have was apparently inadvertently left off her list this edition. Don't worry Mary, lots of folks are eager to keep me in the loop. Of course I was present at the meeting so the update wasn't necessary anyway.
Some of Mary's highlights included Alderman White's reminding the Board of the promises made for the approval of the April 2007 levy increase. One of them, White claims, was a promise to keep the Community Center open. I was on the Board leading up to the approval by voters (White was not) and that promise was never made. That promise has crept into and now resides in the category of Urban Legend @WL.
Mary did mention in passing, the appointment by Mayor Bos of Alderman Vic DeJong as the new supervisor of Director of Public Works George Lowman. Interesting in that there was not a motion, nor discussion by the Board. The City Attorney was silent as well. Simply a decree and that was it. A commingling of the executive and legislative branches. Odd. Look for a "redo" on this one May 6th. Also look for a series of more delegation and outsourcing moves. (Inside sources tell me IT is being outsourced to India "Hi, This is James, may I help you? (sorry sounds better than it reads).
"Based on the success of this report to Westside" as reported by Mary, Jerry intends to establish a city wide email system of communication. Readers are advised to adjust their spam controls accordingly.
And so it goes. I applaud the new energy of the Board. I sleep soundly at night knowing Mary, our new Mayor Pro Tem, is a heartbeat away from making our city a better place to live.
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17 comments:
HOLY SMOLLY, MIKE. Someone a heart beat away can't even get two of the players names right? Wow, I am supposed to feel better?
There are always inaccuracies, selective reporting and mistakes in her email summaries, which is maybe why Jerry said everyone would review future recap emails before they went out to all citizens.
Maybe she should have Pat White proof read her email prior to sending out.....Pat seems very good at pointing out "typos"!
Mike & Bloggers,
“Let No Good Deed Go Unpunished”
It is interesting how often this unfortunate axiom weaves its way into our lives. Unwanted, for sure, but there are always those out there that will make certain it thrives.
Firstly, I do not receive Alderman Hoy’s emails so I do not make any assumptions or criticisms here about anything other than what I know. Before I get into that, let me just pontificate for a minute about choices one makes in ones life. What I know of Mary Hoy is that she is a person of honor and trust. She is a good friend and neighbor and one of the best people I know. Mary made a choice and promise to her Westside constituents that she has kept—despite criticisms and backlash. It would have been easy, in her busy life, to have quit sending out the emails due to criticism. Yes, that would have been the easy way out. You know, life is too short, time with family too short and time on this lake and around this community—all too short. There are always choices to make that would have perhaps called Mary to do other things with her time that gives her joy—precious time with family and friends, reading some good books…you get the picture. Instead, Mary has stood by her commitment to communicate to her Westside constituents—she made a promise and she is keeping it despite people who only want to find fault. Again, it is the choices here that astound me—her choice to continue to communicate as promised despite it all. Now, this is someone showing leadership for those of you who worry she will be a great Mayor Protem.
So, Mary, thank you for choosing to keep your promise to your constituents. You made the RIGHT choice and the overwhelming majority appreciates you for it!
Pat White
The only problem is that she does not communicate to everyone on the westside. There are several Westside neighbors who have asked to be on her "email list" but continue to be ignored. It gives the appearance that she is only interested in her friends. Is it not the duty of the alderperson to represent everyone?
Anonymous,
I believe that Mary will send her emails to anyone who asks to be put on her distribution. She has even included some people here on the Eastside that have asked to be copied. If there is anyone who is not getting her emails that wants to be on her distribution, they should at least give her a call or send her an email asking for inclusion. I suggest you give her a call.
No problem with the desire to communicate, but that responsibility carries with it some commitment for accuracy. I have found that Mary tends to reports on thiings that toot her horn but omits others that might reflect negatively.
I also remember her promise to her constituents that she would have underground utilities in one year.
She also scoffed at the idea of prohibitive cost...calling it 'urban legend'. Now we find the
legend was true.
Continue the communication. However, when you read it, compare it to the draft minutes on the city's website. There may be differences.
Agreed. If she takes it upon herself to report on the meetings, she has an obligation to be fair and accurate. Otherwise she is doing a great disservice.
The issue is sending emails that try to score political points under the guise of just recapping meetings or asking for input.
If Pat received them, I think she would have to admit that her political partner has used her emails to drive the perception she wants out there more than just the facts. The spin starts in those emails.
I subscribe to a number of publications (Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Washington Post, etc...). Each of these information sources will report on the same story, yet each may have a slightly different interpretation and/or opinion of the event. As a reader, I can choose which elements of which information source I want to assimilate. Ms. Hoy’s email is a source of data on some of the events of the lake. Other sources are the WL Living and the WL City web site. There is even this blog, albeit authored by a biased bloviate (as I see it). I am certain that our citizens are perfectly capable of perusing the various sources of data and taking in that which they can identify as factual rather than opinionated information. Vive la difference!!
Let's talk about the Newsletter. The first article is always about loving/hugging each other. Author: Pat Medill.
Yet, the Monday before the election, Pat Medill called and asked me to vote for Jerry by casting an air of suspicion on Alan and his savings to the City by going to Costco. Pat Medill is a back-stabber, liar, and runs all elections. The Newsletter is a worthless rag.
Mary Hoy, for some reason, prefers the City spend double by ordering supplies from Office Max or Staples.
I applaud diversity. However, I am positive you cannot discern truth from just reading diverse views. The only way to really know what is the truth is by attending meetings. You can see things first-hand and know the truth.
Tee dubya reads this blog, which by definition is Mike's opinion. Mary's emails are at issue because she blatantly (if you go to the meetings to see how blatantly) writes her opinion as fact, or simply gets the information wrong. She has also used her Alderman emails to elicit the reaction she wants people to have...most notably her desire to have Alan York put in a bad light. She would do herself well to actually be unbiased in her reports and/or questions she puts out there and then add a section stated as her opinion at the end. Hopefully with the election over and her candidate in office we can get on with the business at hand to keep our city strong and information accurate. And as Pat said, maybe a good deed done accurately won't be punished.
Love the Lake:
Again, I would say that one can assimilate whatever one chooses to from the various information sources available. I don't receive Ms. Hoy's emails, although I do try and attend as many City meetings as my schedule allows. Maybe if you don't like Ms. Hoy's missives, you might consider asking to be removed from her email list? Just a thought. Perhaps you would prefer to view the minutes of the city council meetings on the WL City web site.
Tee Dubya,
Myself and those who have weighed in on observing how misleading Mary's emails are, actually get them and compare notes with what they know to be accurate. Again, if you put out "notes" they are supposed to be a record of what happened, not as biased as her emails are. I view the minutes and that's what Mary says she's basically putting out. And again, it's not about "not liking Mary's missives", it's about unbiased accuracy and as others have said (that receive them) she's doing a disservice to her constituents. But obviously, friends give friends a bye in these things.
It is very interesting that those coming to Mary's defense 1. don't get her email and 2. don't live on the westside. While those who are voicing concerns 1. get her email and 2. live on the westside. I think Mary needs to listen to her westside constituents. At the very least, she needs to do the responsible thing and put a disclaimer on her emails that let readers know the contents reflects her views only.
Does anyone else feel the ground shaking?
Wrapped beneath the cloak of political accuracy, watchdog for checks/balances and the cry for more formal municipal structure, we are disrupting the very foundation of why many pontificate that Weatherby is a great place to live.
I’ve been around for decades and the ability for us to benefit from MODERATE formal structure, and the FLUIDITY of rules and regulations is what has molded this community into a unique experience.
Caution: With a community of only 750 households (caveat for PC accuracy: -- based on Phone Book estimates only), we should be careful of creating such an atmosphere of contention and nit picking. Would YOU (avg. WL citizen) ever want to govern in the future?
I read this blog for the very same reason you do…..but I’m also very aware……
If you build it, they WON'T come. Nor will they stay.
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