Did you know that
there is another, expensive cover-up to hide
Llano zoning changes?
- UPDATE
Again!
Lawlessness, secrecy and malfeasance for questionable objectives
- followed by wasting your tax dollars on a cover-up.
This time, it is an attempt to secretly create a
Comprehensive Plan without citizen involvement as
documented here a few weeks ago.
Planning is a good thing. An important thing. One of
the four keys to a successful endeavor. Llano management has always been
awful at planning - resulting in waste and poor city services. Some very
expensive examples are sewer plant
upgrade, water meters,
Riley Mountain, fountains, website, and a
"new" police station. These wasted millions of dollars could
have been avoided by citizen involvement instead of city regimes that
think they know better.
In this case, the Texas Department of Agriculture, the grant issuer,
agrees. The planning manual they provide says "The comprehensive
plan combines the community goals and objectives with the inventory of
city resources. Small cities and towns are often
fortunate to have residents with expertise related to planning.
Retired professionals, teachers at local schools and colleges, and
professionals who commute to nearby cities can make valuable voluntary
contributions." Thirteen citizens volunteered but City Manager Lewis
never set up the committee.
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"CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND THE
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Citizen
involvement in the planning process is important. Involvement increases understanding
of the benefits of planning while decreasing the
uncertainty about the negative effects of planning on personal
freedom and property rights. In turn,
increased involvement contributes to political acceptance and
success of the planning process. In addition, residents can aid
the planner through their knowledge of the community. Often,
citizens with professional expertise can contribute their
talents to the technical aspects of planning, thus reducing the
need for consultants. Finally, involvement in the process
assures that citizens are given a chance to become aware of the
practical matters surrounding implementation of plans. Plans are
most successful when the citizens feel an ownership in the final
product. Their realistic perspective helps keep the planning
process on track and down-to-earth.
The benefits of
citizens’
participation are substantial."
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The Comprehensive Plan is a
statute-required activity to be done prior to any changes to the
zoning ordinance. This has not done and would be a violation of zoning
laws if the city proceeds. Their dilemma is that the zoning changes that
Mayor Virdel, City Manager Lewis, and P&Z Chair Firestone want, property
owners would not put in the Comprehensive Plan. So, since they can't
control a citizen committee, they tried to secretly hire a consultant
who would conform to their wants. We know that one of those changes is
changing the zoning of South Ford St. from Residential to Commercial.
Thus, the city tried to secretly hire the consultant by hiding it in an
innocuous grant application vote. When that was exposed, a citizen
requested a revote so citizens could be involved. That was rejected
so that citizen filed an
injunction in Llano District Court, along with a settlement offer
that again requested a revote.
At that point, had City Attorney Bovey recommended accepting the
settlement offer, there would have been a revote which would cost
nothing and council could still have voted again for a consultant - but
at least citizens would have had a chance to speak. No cost or downside
to this option.
Instead, Llano City
Attorney Bovey's approach was to waste taxpayer dollars and
delay. This is his characteristic approach - to waste time and money to
stall until it is too late, hoping citizens will give up trying to
protect their rights.
Mayor Virdel, City Manager Lewis, or City Council members could still
have intervened, at no cost. They didn't.
UPDATE - One ethical council member asked that a closed meeting be held
to discuss the settlement offer and City Manager Brenton Lewis refused
to put it on the agenda.
What we are learning, again, from this experience is that Llano
City Government is lawless, secretive, and willing to spend any amount
of citizen money to protect itself and their agenda from the citizens of
Llano.
See relevant articles here,
here, here,
here, and
here.
Documentation:
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