Here’s the item as it was presented to the council on the agenda for June 5:
ITEM NO. 2 REQUESTS for CONSIDERATION of the Following:
A. Communication from Mayor Jim Ardis with Request to Provide More Focus and Maximize Resources for the Implementation of the Heart of Peoria Plan Concepts by Adopting the Following:
- ORDINANCE Amending Ordinance No. 15,571 Pertaining to the HEART OF PEORIA COMMISSION Changing the STATUS of the HEART OF PEORIA COMMISSION;
- ORDINANCE Amending CHAPTER 23 of the Code of the City of Peoria Pertaining to EXPANSION of the PLANNING COMMISSION by FOUR POSITIONS; and
- TRANSFER and APPOINTMENT of HEART OF PEORIA COMMISIONERS to EXISTING PLANNING and/or REGULATORY COMMISSIONS, with Recommendation to Concur:
- Beth Akeson (Voting): Planning Commission – Term 6/6/2007 – 6/30/2008
- Joe Richey (Voting): Planning Commission – Term 6/6/2007 – 6/30/2009
- Dick Schwebel (Voting): Planning Commission – Term 6/6/2007 – 6/30/2008
- Christopher Summers (Voting): Planning Commission – Term 6/6/07 – 6/30/2009
- Nancy Biggins (Voting): Zoning Board of Appeals – Term 6/6/2007 – 6/30/2009
- Patrick Sullivan (Voting): Traffic Commission – Term 6/6/2007 – 6/30/2009
- Bill Washkuhn: Commission Assignment to be Determined.
ORB. Communication from Director of Planning and Growth Management with Recommendation from the Heart of Peoria Commission to MAINTAIN the COMMISSION’S STATUS Based on the HEART OF PEORIA COMMISSION’S MISSION STATEMENT, VISION, and CORE VALUES and the CONDITION that the Commission Develop a Work Plan by July 30, 2007, to Complete the Work with the Planning and Growth Management Department to Achieve those Goals.
The way this has been communicated to the council is, unfortunately, misleading. This makes it look like the choice is between the mayor’s proposal (all changes) or the Heart of Peoria Commission’s proposal (no changes). That’s simply not true.
What the Heart of Peoria Commission (HOPC) clearly voted on at their last meeting was their preference for option A above, but without subsection 1. In other words, we strongly agreed with the expansion of the planning commission and the appointment of Heart of Peoria commissioners to various commissions as outlined, but we do not want the status of the Heart of Peoria Commission changed (i.e., we don’t want HOPC decommissioned).
We looked at the pros and cons of continuing as a city-appointed commission versus as a private advocacy group, and we decided we could be more effective as a city-appointed commission. However, we also decided that, in order for the principles of new urbanism to have the most impact, we needed the dual appointments of HOPC commissioners on other commissions — especially the planning commission, since they oversee the city’s comprehensive planning process.
So it was a little surprising to read the council agenda and see the options set so starkly opposed, all-or-nothing. Hopefully, the council can get things sorted out on the council floor Tuesday night.
C.J.: It looks to me like it IS an either or proposition. Have you been in contact with anyone on the council about this?
No, not yet. I have notified the HOPC chair and vice chair, though. I expect they’ll be notifying the City Manager and the Council. I’ll see what happens Monday before directly contacting anyone else.
Indirect contact via the blog, on the other hand, is fair game. 🙂
Again, staff should have put in the option that CJ proposes — to retain HOPC (and in my opinion — add more authority to the commission) and dually appoint HOPC commissioners to other city commissions.
Once again, lip service to what the city is to accomplish — we never seem to get the job done because the city does not stay on task to manage complex change. When it gets tough or uncomfortable, our courage and resolve disappears and we backslide to the complacent ways of the past instead of exercising our muscles and breaking through to new ground.
Vision, skills, incentives, resources and an action plan result in change. When anyone of the above elements is removed then the following scenarios result.
Removal of:
Vision — Confusion
Skills — Anxiety
Incentives — Gradual Change
Resources — Frustration
Action plan — False Starts
And so, if the HOPC is decommissioned — the result will be all of the above and again Peoria will continue in the same downward spiral that has plagued it for years.