There’s another council meeting tonight, but two political parts of the last meeting stand out.
Fees for a Search Firm.
There was discussion, and approval, of additional fees for a police search. Approval was the right decision, and the additional cost would have been easier if former police chief Coan hadn’t sought to retain thousands at the time of his resignation from Whitewater’s force. He left in March for a paid position in Minnesota, and so far as one knows, he’s still employed there. That money would have been useful to Whitewater; a gold watch would have been been cheaper.
In the end, the search for a person is really the search for a set of standards and principles. People come and go, but a good standard assures that successors will serve a community well.
Zoning.
There was discussion about a comprehensive zoning review, something that will be good for the city. The idea prompted a caution from Councilmember Winship, some of whose constituents are members of the Starin Neighborhood Association. (Here, I’ll tease: It’s an Historic Starin Neighborhood Association. It’s as though a half dozen other parts of our city had no history at all, or as though no one would realize that the homes in the Starin area are old.)
Jim Winship, by the way, is an intelligent and powerful advocate for that neighborhood group’s concerns. I’m opposed to their use of government to demand more and more, first in zoning, and later in public works. Still, Winship is a persuasive voice for the group’s views: clear, poised, consensus-oriented. I’d guess the group’s success owes far more to Winship’s effective stewardship of their issues than advocacy from the association’s other members.
It seems eminently clear, though, from the council discussion that this project isn’t about altering any given residential neighborhood’s existing arrangements but rather about making the city’s commercial standards more uniform and merchant-friendly.
A recording of the May 3rd meeting appears below: