November 29, 2006 Statement from Virginia Pennington
At the November 29th JSC meeting, Virginia Pennington, a JSC member from Richmond Heights Chamber of Commerce, read her handwritten statement to those present. That statement has been transcribed for easier viewing below:
" With the recent meetings conducted in Richmond Heights / Clayton, there appeared to be disappointment (and disapproval) on both sides of the aisle.
Neither community gave a positive response to the merger itself, (or) the possibility of department mergers. Several people requested a “resolution be filed” halting this procedure now with departments.
With upcoming elections in Clayton in 2007, and Richmond Heights in 2008, the possibility of new people running government with new ideas and choices…their hands should not be tied in making decisions by this committee.
Richmond Heights future looks good with “Nordstrom Department Store” going into the Galleria, continued growth in the construction of the “Boulevard Development” on the east side of Brentwood Boulevard, the “Hadley Development” of 150 homes, along with 300,000 square feet of retail spaces, a hotel, and office building.
Our city, Richmond Heights, is very well managed, receiving for the (16th) consecutive year, the “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence” in financial reporting. This is the highest form of recognition for government accounting.
If there are financial problems in either community, then each “department head” should be reviewing their departments and make whatever changes are needed to make them more productive, efficient and financially acceptable.
This country is built on “contracts”. We could use contracts, and sharing practices where feasible and productive with both cites. Richmond Heights already contracts with Maplewood, Brentwood, Clayton Parks and Recreation in sharing activities, and with Clayton Parking Meter department.
The “Mayors” want to close this out by March 7, 2007. Maybe it should just be dissolved sooner. It is a plan too complicated for these (2) communities already successfully set in place.”
Virginia Pennington
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posted by Merger Study Web Site Administrator
1 COMMENTS
1 Comments:
This is a thoughtful statement that speaks to the questionability of the JSC's charge and is not simply some senior citizen's rambling pinings for the good old days and echewment of change.
Whether or not they agreed with or found Ms. Pennington's statement compelling, the JSC should have conducted some cursory level of due diligence. For example, in weighting the implications of her statement and the attention that should be paid to it, it is essential to determine whether the statement represents only Ms. Pennington's personal beliefs or rather if it presents conclusions drawn from discussions she had entertained with members of the community the RH Chamber represents. The JSC did not discuss this statement, comment on it, or question Ms. Pennington about it.
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