OH MY OH MY -- Council refuses deferals based on the request of 3 members failed!

[Doug Loudenback]

I've been watching the city council meeting, still in process. Do you remember a few weeks ago that council members Marrs, Salyer & Ryan said that deferrals were almost automatic when a council member requested one? Marrs said the he had not ever heard of one not being granted, and Salyer said, "see, we already have a procedure" (or something like that) which gives more time, based on the courtesy reciprocally extended amongst council members.

Well, guess what? The MAPS 3 timeline was on today's agenda. Council member Shadid communicated with council member White, explaining that he would not be able to be present because of an international flight getting delayed and White passed along his request and moved to continue the matter. Meg Salyer wasn't present but passed along her own request that the matter not be deferred. Skip Kelly seconded the deferral motion. The deferral motion failed (and that's why I'm saying "3" -- 2 present and 1 absent).

So all of that lovey-dovey talk about a continuance request being a slam-dunk just went down the toilet and Marrs, Salyer and Ryan come out wearing their hypocrite clothes ... such as the old fairy tale about the emperor's new clothes.

Talk about a council divided ... it this vote doesn't shatter the semblance of mutual respect, I don't know what would.

On edit: To a mod ... please add a space in the title of this thread so that it reads, "OH MY OH MY -- Council refuses <sp> deferals based on the request of 3 members failed!

[Doug Loudenback]

Now, they are discussing the timing of the convention center moving forward ... fascinating stuff to watch. Ugly, but fascinating.

[Doug Loudenback]

Option 1 as presented by the Citizen's Committee (moving the convention center the further-est forward) just selected compared to option 2 by a vote of 4-3. The Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum is alive and well.

[Steve]

Salyer was absent at today's meeting.

[Doug Loudenback]

Pete White just moved to defer vote item 8-I. Deferral failed by a vote of 2 (White, Kelly) to 5.

A Populus representative is now speaking, on the convention center site selection.

[Doug Loudenback]

Salyer was absent at today's meeting.

I understand that. But she announced her opposition to the deferral through someone, announced at the meeting, as though someone had her proxy. I'll be looking closely at the video.

[bornhere]

Must... obey... Chamber...

[Doug Loudenback]

Must... obey... Chamber...

My personal opinion, and it's nothing more than that, is that the top of the pyramid, so to speak, is not the Chamber but is instead a handful of chamber members, those who contributed more than $460,000 to the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum in the last round of council elections. In general, the chamber may well have many in its membership who do not like what is going on but that they, like mere citizens, are pretty much powerless ... perhaps until it comes time for the next city council elections.

[kevinpate]

smells like sausage getting made

[Doug Loudenback]

Now, the discussion continues in the Populus part ... City Manager said that he'd had a conversation with council member Shadid last night ... and the City Manager is presenting the questions that he had ... talk about picking the wrong guy to ask his questions.

[Doug Loudenback]

Motion to Approve the convention center location ... passes 6-1.

And that ends the fun part of today's council meeting.

Comments by individual council members are now being presented and we're near the end of the meeting. Nothing was said which relates the items that I mentioned, above.

I'll be putting a video together about what he/she said "then" and what "he/she" said today, but it might not come until after I return from my vacation on July 14. It's really easy to see how citizen perspectives can become jaded about how things are done in city government, and I'm not sure that I'm up to reporting objectively over time since until this year I've really not paid close attention to what goes on at city council. If this year is the typical measuring stick ... I'm sorry, but I've got to give our city, on a A-F scholastic scale, some measure of a D. I would say F, but I'm not quite that jaded, as yet.

[G.Walker]

nice, now regarding the approved time line, it shows land acquisition and site prep for the new CC taking almost 3 years, now it shouldn't take that long?

[Midtowner]

Thank you for your coverage, Doug.

[Steve]

This is the most divisive vote I've ever witnessed in the history of the MAPS projects. I'll be interested to see how Michael Kimball covers it.

[G.Walker]

Moreover, one thing that I am confused about, is how was the City was able to start land acquisition process for the new central park, before approval of the MAPS3 time line?

[Steve]

ding, ding, ding...

[Doug Loudenback]

This is the most divisive vote I've ever witnessed in the history of the MAPS projects. I'll be interested to see how Michael Kimball covers it.

You are not the only one, Steve, particularly in view of recent changes at the top at the Oklahoman.

As for me, I'll be heading down to Port Aransas, TX, Thursday with members of my family and put this down for a few days (unless I begin blogging before I leave). Good family times, beach babes, shrimp on the barbe, etc., will be my personal agenda.

At this very moment, there is a little part of me that wishes that I could just stay there and forget forever about the crap that I've been witnessing today and over the past several weeks. But, that's just me, and unfortunately no one lives down there who will take me in.

But, on the other hand, I am reminded that I just watched the Battle Los Angeles movie on pay-per-view with my son and a grandson before the above council discussion occurred ... and how, even in desperate straits, a few proud marines, and an air force sergeant, managed to blow up the alien invader's Los Angeles command center which controlled all of the drone airship fighting vehicles. After doing so and being offered a well deserved breakfast, SSGT Michael Nantz, instead reloaded his weapons, and his team did the same, and they left and returned to the battle, he telling his superior, "We just had breakfast."

On edit and further reflection re Battle Los Angeles ... just thinking ... command center as relates to drone airship fighting vehicles ... just thinking ... eh

[Just the facts]

This is the most divisive vote I've ever witnessed in the history of the MAPS projects. I'll be interested to see how Michael Kimball covers it.

Do you think there is any doubt about how it will be covered?

I know you can't answer that.

This is from Michael's article today:

The crux of the debate is whether to start MAPS 3 projects aimed mostly at economic development first or those intended primarily as ways to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City.

The streetcar IS economic development AND quality of life. By writting that we already know whose side he is on.

[soonerguru]

Steve,

Help me out here. Which "option" was chosen? I've read the Oklahoman article and I cannot understand what it is saying. I know there was one proposal that involved moving "phase 2" of the streetcar back but that isn't mentioned in the article.

[soonerguru]

1. I'm very sorry I chose to spend time on behalf of Meg Salyer's campaign. I may actually work for her ouster in the next election.

2. Does anyone know why Greenwell voted against the proposed timeline?

[mcca7596]

1. I'm very sorry I chose to spend time on behalf of Meg Salyer's campaign. I may actually work for her ouster in the next election.

Would you really have wanted the fundamentalist Baptist alternative?

[betts]

Yes, I was at the meeting. Greenwell said he is in favor of completion of the park by 2014. He actually spoke on behalf of my idea of a park, saying he would like to see a park on the order of the Washington Mall, saying he saw people after work playing sports on the grass and generally lounging around and thought a big open space would work just fine. He expressed some concerns about transit, although he did say he is a big transit proponent and seemed to indicate he wanted more time for it. He thought that moving the convention center up only 21 months would allow more time to consider how best to facilitate a hotel. This is all from memory, not the videotape, so I apologize if I left something out or interpreted what he said incorrectly.

[soonerguru]

Would you really have wanted the fundamentalist Baptist alternative?

No. I'm still pissed at Meg.

[soonerguru]

So Betts, how does this affect the streetcar?

[betts]

I don't have my timeline in front of me and cannot remember precise dates, but it pushes the start for the first four (approximately, depending on price) miles back one year, to 2014, I believe. Someone who has access to the timeline can correct me if I'm wrong. We are to have a year for standards and implementation work, and that is what adds the time. The second phase, approximately two miles (again, depending on price) is pushed almost to the end of the timeline. Of course, if we qualify for federal funding, that money will not be part of the timeline, so it is possible we could end up with as much or more mileage before phase two is set to begin. My concern then, however, is that if the CC is over budget, our money for phase two could be appropriated to help with the CC, on the grounds that we got our six miles. No one has really been able to reassure me that it couldn't happen.