What are you looking at? (Image, Argus Leader)
We have been hearing rumors for awhile that constituents have been ‘told’ by someone that they can’t testify at Planning Meetings OR the first reading at the council meetings over planning and zoning issues in their neighborhoods. Well we finally tracked down the messenger of alternative facts. Jeff Schmidt from the planning office.
This past Wednesday a citizen told a city official that Jeff was in the lobby of Carnegie asking constituents what they were there for, their name, and if they were going to testify during the Planning Meeting? I guess he has been doing this for awhile. They also buried an item in the consent agenda so the public could not testify on it. (Joe Foss school re-zone)
Besides the interrogation in the lobby (which I’m sure encourages citizens to speak before the body, talk about intimidation? And they are worried about committee board members?!) Jeff has also been telling constituents they can ONLY testify at 2nd reading of the council meetings, which is also not true, they can testify whenever about any city item, whether it is on the agenda or not, during public input.
Transparency certainly is a slippery slope, especially when you have a slippery Pete like Jeff working the crowd.