It Bears Its Teeth like a Light

There's a difference between a city and a community-sometimes one is the other and sometimes not so much. I would suggest the latter makes the former more than vice versa but we may not agree on that as much as I'd like. This week in The Rose of New England is another opportunity to prove, and/or disprove, my theory when we look at municipal meetings.

This morning at nine in the Rose City Senior Center, it's a regular meeting of the Senior Affairs Commission, whose last approved minutes are from their April meeting leading me to some less than kind conclusions, all of which I'll spare you.

At seven thirty this evening, the City Council meets for what I imagine may be their last meeting before the November elections (yeah, there's a November meeting scheduled but it traditionally is scrapped so alderpersons can engage in last minute community outreach to voters) with a very full agenda, with a lot of (to me) intriguing reports.

Actually two of the five are interesting only if they include a means of funding which seems to be a sticking point for a LOT of items that come before the City Council. Otherwise they're more of the same, which is way too much 'wish sandwich.'

Another sticking point, for me, is the fourth report, especially paragraph 5. Two and a half years after consulting with the state DEP on a site plan, it's still "premature to discuss the plan?" Pull my other leg-I've always wanted to be six feet tall.

Tuesday is a very busy day. Pack a dinner and your track shoes. There's a special meeting of the Redevelopment Agency at five in Room 210 of City Hall. There's a vacancy on that committee as of the first, so if you're so inclined, you might want to check out this link to volunteer. The September regular meeting minutes reflect deep engagement in brownfields which will be an area of concentration for quite some time.

At five thirty in the Latham Science Center on the Norwich Free Academy campus is a regular meeting of the NFA Board of Trustees whose meeting agenda and minutes I am unable to find on the newly redesigned NFA website. I'm pretty sure satisfying the requirements of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act has something to do with the direct or indirect receipt of public money, as the New London Development Corporation discovered about a decade ago.

Just sayin'.

At six, in Room 319 of City Hall, it's a regular meeting of the Personnel and Pension Board, whose members' reappointments, among other topics, are on their meeting agenda.

At six-thirty, in the United Congregational Church Hall at 87 Broadway, it's the Norwich Youth and Democracy Challenge Board of Education Candidates Forum slated to last until eight P. M..

And at seven in the basement conference room of the Planning Department at 23 Union Street, it's a regular meeting of the Commission on the City Plan, and within it there's a presentation on the agenda by Planimetrics (authors of the current City of Norwich Plan of Conservation and Development) who are working with the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) Sub-Committee .

My only criticism of any plans for anything in this neck of the woods in the two decades I've lived here is the continuing absence of shoes so we can take the next steps after any plan has been finished. We're real good at staying stuck at the start.

Wednesday morning at eight thirty in their offices in the Norwich Business Park, it's a regular meeting of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Government whose website continues to suffer from a lack of current (and mandated by public law) minutes of previously held meetings.

At nine, in the community meeting room of The Dime Bank on Route 82, it's a regular meeting of the Norwich School Readiness Council (Children First) And Minutes Take the Hindmost (I suspect, as they're not on their website).

At 5:30 in the Norwich Arts Council Coop Gallery, it's a meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Revitalization Zone. I did find a posted copy of their September meeting agenda-the city's web page listing is in dire need of updating in terms of currency and accuracy. This would be a good place to begin.

At six-thirty, again in the United Congregational Church Hall at 87 Broadway, it's another Norwich Youth and Democracy Challenge Candidates Forum this time for those seeking a seat on the City Council, again slated to run until eight P. M..

And at seven in their clubhouse on New London Turnpike , it's the Golf Course Authority in their second special meeting of the month. They'll hold their regular meeting next week and I cannot imagine what they'll have left to do.

Thursday afternoon at five in Room 319 of City Hall, it's a regular meeting of the Historic District Commission whose last meeting seems to have been in August (here are their draft minutes). You don't want to not attend as you may be nominated to buy properties (I love the headline vice the content of the news article as to who is paying and who is not; and people say we have no sense of humor around here.).

At six, in their meeting room at The Rink, it's a regular meeting of the Norwich Ice Authority, whose last meeting, judging from the city's website, was in July.

Friday morning at in Room 319, probably to accommodate the crowd of interested citizens, it's a regular meeting of the Chelsea Garden Foundation who are listed NOWHERE aside from the meeting calendar on the city's website. Here's a recent story about it though when I say recent I mean not so much and when I say story I mean the reader comments from when it was first published a year ago. Time marches on.

Norwich, like so many places we call home, remains a work in progress and can only be better when you get involved. "Pick a side, pick a fight-but get your epitaph right. You can sing 'til you drop, 'cos the fun just never stops."

-bill kenny