I attended the City Council meeting this past Monday and was very encouraged.

I was encouraged by the number of people that were in attendance.  There were roughly 15 people that chose to spoke and 3 or 4x as many concerned citizens at the meeting to hear the discussion.  There were many great perspectives shared on both sides of the issue.  People spoke for and against the ordinances.  All comments were prepared, well thought out and civil.  The commentary remained focused on the topic at hand without personal attacks against council members or other speakers.  The crowd likewise remained very civil.  As individuals shared their perspectives and points of view, the crowd listened attentively.  They did not groan or heckle the other side, nor did they make overblown actions of support.

As the evening went on, it became obvious where the points of agreement and disagreement existed.  Based on the high-quality citizen feedback and council discussion, there was a general consensus that the policies are appropriate for our community.  Everyone agreed that hard surface driveways are preferred.  They are better for maintenance, safety and general appearance of all neighborhoods.  Well maintained paint and surface finish are preferred by all.  The concerns emerged around the administration of these policies.  Those that spoke out against the ordinances did so from a place of pride in their community with concerns about the affordability of the requirements.  I appreciated that what looked to be a divisive issue actually turned into a greater agreement with clarity around the real issue.

I was most proud of the actions of our City Council and City Management.  They listened attentively to citizen feedback.  They were genuine in their interest to hear the concerns, desires, and opinions of all.  They had also done their homework.  They had been proactive.  The Council had even taken action in a previous meeting to improve the affordability of driveways.  The City has maintained a sidewalk assistance program for many years.  If the sidewalk is crumbling and a property owner wishes to replace it, the City would split the cost 50/50.  That program was expanded during the prior meeting to include driveways and curbing.  Funding for this initiative is limited, even to $0 in this last budget cycle, but I have a feeling this will change soon.  The Council and Staff were already working on improvements to these ordinances.  There was work being done on hard surface alternatives.  The Council and Staff looked into past citations for both ordinance violations.  They even looked into property owner experiences when they did receive notice of violation and sought resolution.  What the Council discovered was remarkable.  The number of citations was lower than expected: 66 per year for parking in grass and 0 ever for paint.  The feedback was that 100% of property owners who were willing to work with the City on the resolution reported it as a positive experience.  The police department an code enforcement staff have shown great wisdom and restraint in the implementation of these policies.

It is my sincere hope that future disagreements and concerns can be handled in such a productive way as all come together to create a better future for our community.