Let States Decide?
l3wis 
February 2017
Looks like it is going to be a rough ride in 2017
Click to enlarge (entire doc: end-of-year-rev)
As you can see, sales tax revenue was down in growth in 2016, and 2017 isn’t probably looking much better.
Why is this? Not sure, I am certainly not an economics major, but what seems odd is that while we have grown over 3,000 people over the past year, our tax growth hasn’t been there.
As you know, there are some factors that are obvious, like low unemployment (under employment) and low paying jobs. Also the growth in shelters and food banks is a pretty obvious sign. Another thing that I think is really dipping into the sales tax growth is the lack of affordable housing (it is really at a crisis level like our growing violent crime rate). I think people are spending way to much on housing and essentials and not purchasing other goods.
Why is such a large project only put on the consent agenda
If you don’t know how the Planning Commission meetings work, they usually have ‘non-controversial’ items put on the consent agenda, in other words, stuff that doesn’t really need open discussion because of it’s affects. This gas station is a very large project being dropped next to a residential neighborhood (Item #1). I would think the planning commission would want to discuss the pros and cons openly during their meeting. We will see if they have a change of heart come Wednesday night.
I really don’t have an opinion either way on the project, but would like to hear why it may or may not be a good fit.
Seems our City Attorney Fiddle had to change his Faddle on Snow gates ordinance
Isn’t it funny after a city councilor and the media point out the absence of an ordinance in our bylaws, they have a moment of pause;
City Attorney Dave Pfeifle said in an email Friday no formal action is required by the Council to meet Stehly’s request and the City Clerk would be submitting it for publication in in the coming weeks.
“The city has the option to codify it and it will be placed in the code book in the near future,†he wrote. “Again, the code book is for the court’s convenience for those ordinances that are most likely to be enforced against the public at large through the court system.â€
They also should be put on the books for the courts to protect the public from it’s government when they are NOT doing their job. I will say that Councilor Stehly told me after this last snowfall she has gotten dozens of compliments about how the city used snow gates in the past couple of days. BRAVO. See, it’s really not that hard to push a button.
I thought we killed this?
My only suggestion on this would be to put very large signs about 40 feet from the front doors of public facilities that says ‘NO SMOKING BEYOND THIS POINT’ with smoker posts (outdoor ashtrays) attached to them. The city already has a sign department that can make these signs very easily. But it seems like some people with the city cannot let this die;
“The intent is never to make this about the enforcement, the consequence of being caught, it’s really that education and creating that environment that is a healthy environment,†Michael stated.
Well then instead of making rules, laws and ordinances, do your job and EDUCATE!