Ottawa River dredging debate continues….
There are several factors that I believe are impacting what’s happened with the Ottawa River dredging project as covered by several sources, the Blade’s, Councilman decries loss of money for dredging plan being one that without saying it specifically demonstrates what happens related to the budget and District Council persons. Decisions are made that involve city tax payer dollars that will only benefit one part of the city and it’s not uncommon for another District Council person to feel as if the needs of their district are not being met.
Which leaves us with the At Large members of Council. Councilwoman Webb would need all six at large members to support her, or somehow get the support of a few of the District Council persons absent support from the administration. Hampering the process more is even if the little over 4 million that is the City’s share of the cost of the estimated 40 million dollar Ottawa River dredging/clean up project was in the CIP budget, it’s not going to happen soon, there are still other stumbling blocks to the project beyond the financial aspect.
District Council persons understandably put their districts first, but the decision facing the At Large’s isn’t just what will the residents of District 6 or others who support this think, it’s how do they focus on the priority issues that affect all of the City first, which is police and fire and then after that’s dealt with, where is the next priority.
I recommend listening to the following, Councilwoman Lindsay Webb on Troy Neff, yesterday. The updated information she shared on the project and trying to get the dredging moving forward in relation to Michigan’s support has not received that much media play. I also think one of the issues she raises in relation to the suggestion that the money could be put back into the budget for 2009 is not a viable one is valid, it is possible if the money is removed that it could impact federal matching funds.
Councilman Joe McNamara on Troy Neff today as well as Councilman D. Michael Collins. WSPD had several audio clips from Webb and McNamara. (They already pulled the story from the local news section.)
If Webb has the support of Collins and Waniewski still, as she stated on Tuesday, and she had the support of only three At Large’s, it would be another 6-6 vote scenario. One that would also result in a predictable tie breaking vote by the Mayor…It does not however appear that she has Sobczak, Sarantou and Shultz’s support.
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December 10th, 2008 at 4:46 pm