Sustainability, strategic planning - 5/3 work session

4/28/11

The Council is holding a joint work session with the Parks and Planning Commissions on May 3rd at 600pm at City Hall. The agenda is sustainability and strategic planning. Based on the discussion the during the Council's 4/25 work session during which council members attempted to articulate the purpose and agenda for this joint meeting, the Insider thinks Shorewood residents should attend or watch this 5/3 meeting as a first demonstration of what this Council and especially the new members and Mayor can actually get accomplished.

See: http://windowsmedia.alphameetings.com/LMCCShorewood/042511shorewood.wmv at the 1 hour 36 minute point for the 4/25 work session video.

The Insider has the following observations and comments:
- Earlier this year, Council directed that the Planning Commission review sustainability in context of Shorewood and bring recommendations as to what sustainability means to the City. Staff, at the 4/25 meeting, reminded Council that the Planning Commission had been working on this while council member Siakel and others seemed to have forgotten despite Siakel being the council liasion to the Planning Commission.

- Lizee demonstrated she could say "sustainable" and "green." The Insider invites readers to count how many times Lizee does this and then measure how much she actually contributes to the conversation about what they mean.

- Hotvet struggles to articulate anything that's coherent as to the objectives of a 5/3 meeting.

- Siakel makes several attempts at listing agenda topics and comes close to something usable.

- Lizee wanders off on a monologue about working with other cities on the County 19 trail. Hotvet joins in later mentioning trails. Both seem to have forgotten the Trail Committee council established and of which Hotvet is a member. If council and Parks are going to discuss trails, where is the Trail Committee in the discussion?

- Lizee mentions that the Planning Commission should have a 2011 work plan. Great idea! This was supposed to have been created by staff and the Commissioners months ago, but is not in place. Siakel should be riding herd on this, but apparently is not.

- Woodruff seems to listen during the whole session and then, at the end, comments that department heads should attend, but not other staff, going on to say that department heads can bring strategy back to their staff.

- Zerby?

- Finally, Heck says he has enough to develop the 5/3 agenda. Something like making a silk purse from a sow's ear?

Watch this blog next week for more about the 5/3 meeting, sustainability and green.

Happy Reading!
The Insider