Doesn't Seem to Be a Shadow in the City

Just me or for the last couple of days, at least around here, are we finally getting the summer weather that we'd wondered about for most of June? I'm not complaining, mind you-just reminding everyone to be very careful what you wish for, in case you do actually get it.

Those who've wished for a less than cluttered meeting week, you get your wish though the meetings going on are important (as they all should be).

Not, strictly speaking, a "Norwich" meeting though its actions and decisions do or could impact on the Rose City, is a meeting this morning at 8:30 of the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments.

Maybe my sense of humor, though I'm not feeling funny as type this, but of all the organizations who should be MOST familiar with Public Act 08-3, I would assume these folks would be in that number and yet their website does NOT contain their most recent meeting minutes as required by law. Take a quick look at that public law again and see what it talks about at the top-we'll return to that in just a moment.

Monday evening at seven there are dueling public meetings in City Hall. In Room 335 (the room with the terrible acoustics and benches bolted to the floor, the old court room I've been told) is a hearing about the Pleasant Street Bridge renovations (that's the bridge over by the old Big Y).

Across the floor, in City Council Chambers, will be a presentation by Rose City Renaissance on the Chelsea District/Waterfront Master Plan (I have NO idea what's going on in the city's website drop down window for this meeting, but it's not being held in Gales Ferry as listed).

The City Council meeting will follow at 7:30 and, as I mentioned, yesterday, on the agenda is a rewrite of the city's ethics code. It doesn't go as far as the proposals the Ethics Review Committee gave this City Council back in March of 2008 (yeah, sixteen months ago; or to put it another way, before one of the members, Chris Coutu, was a State Representative or a City Councilman) but for the longest time, it appeared that some on the City Council would be successful in ignoring an issue upon which all had campaigned in 2007. I never praise the day before the evening arrives, so let's see what happens, shall we?

And, of course and as always, there's a great deal of other items on the agenda to include one I felt so strongly about I asked the City Manager, as a sponsor, last week to make sure was in accordance with a section of state law that I sent him. I may need to write to the Attorney General (sure hope I can find my lucky pen).

Tuesday there's a pair of what I originally understood to be fun-raisers, which I think is a GREAT idea since I'm tired of looking at long, mopey, Eeyore-like faces all around me. Then, I found out, there are, in fact fund-raisers for two of the people seeking the office of Mayor. I think my idea is a vastly superior one. (There's also a fund-raiser on Friday night involving feather boas, rather than Rocky Bal, and I think there's been ads for it.)

Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 in their offices at 10 Westwood Park is a regular meeting of the Housing Authority whose page on the city's website remains totally uncontaminated by the presence of any meeting minutes, meeting notices or agenda. It's like Public Act 08-3 never happened. And here's the thing--these are volunteers and neighbors of each of us who are working very hard with constrained resources to effectively manage and maintain the available supply of public housing, and doing a good job of it. But most of us know next to nothing about their efforts, or how we can help.

Later Wednesday at six in Room 210 of City Hall is a regular meeting of the Norwich Baseball Stadium Authority whose page on the city's website isn't up to date in terms of meeting minutes of notices and who has two members whose appointments expired back in February (perhaps they were part of the deal heading to Richmond?). From what I've read in recent weeks, the outstanding payments on the stadium lease have been remitted to the city and from what I've seen, the team is kicking butt in the Eastern League Northern Division.

Thursday afternoon at 5:15 (the return of the quarter hour start time! perhaps an homage to Quarterflash, a great band from the Pacific Northwest who still have about 11 minutes left on their Warhol Wrist) is a meeting of the Mohegan Park Improvements Advisory Committee (four of whose seven members' appointments expired over two and half years ago)in the Lakeside Pavilion at the Mohegan Park. Sure hope no one is running late to make the meeting and needs to drive through the park.

At six, in the Campbell Building of Uncas on Thames campus, right off Route 32, at 401 West Thames Street is a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Uncas Health District who have a lovely website with a great deal of information they want you to know but know of the information, in terms of meeting minutes and notices, they are required to have posted.

And that's it for this week as we head towards the middle of the summer of '09.
"Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city."
-bill kenny