This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Transcription: Comments from the Public To MV City Council On Non-Agendized Items December 13, 2011

Don Letcher spoke to the City Council about his reasons for wanting the City Manager to have increased responsibilities.

Mountain View City Council Meeting
Item 6. Open Comments from the Public On Non-Agendized Items
Dec. 13, 2011

Transcribed by Christine Bush, Mountain View Resident

Despite the faithfulness of this transcription to the video source, this transcription is UNOFFICIAL. It has not been reviewed by the Mountain View City Council or Clerk's Office. To the best of my knowledge, however, this is the only written account of what the public said.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Yeah, Don Letcher, Mountain View Resident. Property owner over 40 years. As a resident of this city, it just seems to me that residents and voters are absolutely losing control of their own city. You know, it seems to me that the Council thinks the city belongs to them...but it's just my, one person's, that I think the city should belong to the residents, the people who live in that city...and the Council should set policy....and the City Manager should run the city.

So I really think a lot of the decisions that are being made by the Council should start being made by the City Manager. And, uh, adding personnel to the city is one that I think should be a...or, if they are gonna add or delete personnel....uh...I think he should control that. I think he should control presenting the budget and making the budget decisions.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So what I see in the city happening....is special privilege and fast track permits and zoning and things...anything that needs to go fast track....goes to people that have money. It doesn't go to residents that live in the city or things, it goes to, usually, developers that don't live in the city of Mountain View or businesses where their employees are mostly not city residents...and they've got the money to buy the city.

So, uh....(exasperation)....I just don't like it. I just...I just would really, really like to see the second tier budget cuts put into effect now. The City went through a lot of meetings and did a lot of hard work to decide what the first cut budget were, and you cut a lot of personnel from most City departments. Not from your own stuff, but from City departments, from services....you did a lot of that. And then you did a lot of work deciding what the second tier budget cuts were gonna be if the situation did not improve. And the situation did not improve. So I think the second-tier budget cuts ought to take effect now. Alright?

And I'd really, really, really like for the City Manager to have more authority over the hiring and firing of people...how many people are needed in the departments....and the actual hands on handling of how the city's run...and the City Council just stick to policy making. Thank you.”

Source: http://mountainview.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=852 at 00:11:40.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?