Pueblog USa
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Don’t miss reading this Denver Post Series on Open Government
Denver Post Open government 2008 -
Accountability begins with open government
By the Colorado Press Association
This series should be required reading for the Pueblo City Council!
Accountability.
That one word describes the importance of open government.
Elected and appointed public officials are accountable to the people they serve. And you are the people they serve. You selected them, whether in municipal, school board, county, legislative congressional or presidential elections, to serve you. Click here to Read Article
See bottom of article for links to the rest of the series…
Also don’t miss opinion
Government is the people’s business
By Dan Haley
Monday, July 14, 2008
Governor’s Commission on Community Service (GCCS)
A chance to speak your mind.
This week—Wednesday, Thursday and Friday—there will be representatives from our friends in Denver, i.e., the Governor’s office, asking us what we think needs to be done to help Pueblo.
The meetings are to be held:
Place: First Nazarene Church
Date/Time:
- Wednesday, 16 Jul, 12:00 - 1:30
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 10:30 - 12:00
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 12:00 - 1:30
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 2:30 - 4:00
- Friday, 18 Jul, 9:00 - 10:30
- Friday, 18 Jul, 1:30 - 3:00
All are invited to attend one of the forums, at your convenience.
Please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), stating the date and time you’ll be attending. I think they’re offering lunch for certain forums.
Personally?
I’m intending to go and tell them that in order for Pueblo and the rest of the state of Colorado to get what they need, on a par with what Denver needs, we need to return to the balance of legislative power we enjoyed before the Supreme Court overthrew our state constitution; Reynolds v. Simms (1964). The place where the state senate was elected based on geographic areas instead of population, as the state house of representatives is. As it is now, the state senate is just an over-paid version of the state house of representatives. And Denver controls the most votes in both.
As it is right now, the Denver metroplex holds 17 of the 35 state senate seats. This is an egregious concentration of power that allows the Denver area to dominate state law-making and the appointment of judges and commissioners.
Until that balance, as we enjoy at the Federal level, is restored, Denver rules Colorado.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Speaking of Initiatives
Going pro-active.
I have to admit that Chris Nicoll’s initiative has been an inspiration. So much so that the Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership (PNP) is going to emulate it as part of its efforts to improve the quality of living in the city and county of Pueblo.
Last Tuesday, I proposed five possible items to put forward as citizens’ initiatives for the city ordinances on the 2009 odd-year City-County election. These were:
[1] Require the city to provide public notices and publish all documentation relating to a proposed action 45 days prior to any hearing on such actions on their web-site.
[2] Establish a sidewalk utility for the regular maintenance of sidewalks in the city limits.
[3] City recognition and work with organized neighborhood associations, requiring that changes in statutes or zoning or other activities that impacted on neighborhoods would have to have said neighborhoods input.
[4] Oaths at Meetings would require Staff as well as citizens to swear to the honesty of their report under pain of perjury at meetings where witnesses are required to swear or affirm such.
[5] That the city’s legal department should be employees of the city government and not a private firm contracted to do such work for the city.
This list is not locked in concrete. I invite any other possible ideas to modify the City Ordinances or City Charter that would improve our governance by making it more open to the citizens and/or provide better service to them. If you think you have a good idea, let’s hear it. Just click on the word Comments in the box immediately below and say your piece.
Over the course of the next few months we’ll discuss each of the options provided to thrash out their advantages and disadvantages.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
In Praise of Small Cities I
Sometimes smaller is better.
Those of you who check in with The Drudge Report may have seen this article a couple of days ago about Guerrilla Gardeners. You may have wondered if the flower bed on Abriendo Avenue at the intersection with Tyler and Gale a block south of Lincoln was a guerrilla gardening effort.
I am proud to announce that that garden plot is fully sanctioned by the City of Pueblo. All the group, Flower Fad Garden Club, needed was insurance and a willingness to put out cones and wear City provided orange vests while working. Our (becoming) fair(er) City did not have a problem granting the group permission to garden there. Unlike bigger cities cited in the article (Los Angeles and London), it was possible to find out who to go to for permission. Flower Fad, therefore, is not flying under the radar, and not having to do its work in the middle of the night, risking intervention from the police. While the police have stopped by, it was to verify that a broken elbow joint in the water system was not the result of vandalism.
So, kudos to the City for giving the group permission, and kudos to Flower Fad for doing the work, which the City could no longer afford to do under the constraints of TABOR.
Return of the Public Forums at Televised City Council Meetings — 1
A Petition Drive
Chris Nicoll has received permission from the City Clerk’s office to collect signatures on a citizens’ initiative change to the Pueblo City Ordinances to require City Council to have televised Public Forums during regular sessions.
As you remember, up until September of last year, such Public Forums allowed citizens to address their concerns, grievances and suggestions to the members of the City Council. These were televised for everyone who cared to watch to see. However, the City Council, arbitrarily discontinued this practice; without the benefit of public comment on said change.
In many peoples’ opinion, their decision was reprehensible. Therefore, some citizens got together, drafted a proposed change to the City Ordinances, had it reviewed and are now gathering signatures to get a proposed change before the electorate as part of the November 2008 General Election.
It is important to get 1400 signatures of bona fide registered voters who live within the Pueblo city limits by 31 July, so they can be turned into the City Clerk’s office on 1 August.
Petition forms are available from .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), he needs to keep a register of who has each set of petition forms for accountability purposes. You can download the instructions HERE
.
Additionally, I’m interested in forming a team of people to cover the northside Sam’s Club and WalMart stores. If you’ve got two hours to spare for this, please contact me so that we can coordinate our activities. Just click on my name in the box below.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership Bylaws — 080708
For your consideration…..
Click on THIS LINK to download the PDF formated copy of the draft bylaws for the Pueblo Neighborhood Partnership.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Eastside Graffiti Removal — 19 July 2008
Taking another whack at the lunacy.
Eva Montoya’s band of merry (and some not so….they’re kids doing public service due to misconduct) folk will be hitting the ugly ‘art’ again this year.
The next installment is as follows:
Date: Saturday, 19 July 2008
Time: 8 am to 11 am
Place: Pueblo Human Services, 2631 E 4th Street
Attire: Grubbies, i.e., things you don’t mind getting paint on.
Have at compadres!
The Codes
Ever wonder about the Rules of Engagement for Pueblo, Colorado?
Here they are…..
The Pueblo Municipal Code, a.k.a., City Ordinances; click on Entire Code of Ordinances on THIS page
to download the latest 1000+ pages of the Pueblo Municipal Code. This item is frequently updated, so if you REALLY want to know your P’s and Q’s on this, you should check it frequently, as in once a month. Or before you go before City Council or any commission or board.
The Pueblo City Charter; click on City Charter on THIS page
to download the PDF.
Click and download them for fun and entertainment. As well as business and learning how thinks SHOULD work.
These are the two documents that say how the City of Pueblo government is supposed to operate. Download them. Read the sections that are of particular interest to you; Parks & Recreation, Police Regulations, Nuisances, Licenses & Permits, Initiatives & Referendums. They’re all in there.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Help us bring back televised free speech at Pueblo City Council Meetings
Volunteers Needed to Carry Petitions. Must be registered voter in the City of Pueblo.
Pueblo Citizens for Open Government is looking for volunteers who can carry petitions for a November ballot initiative that would reestablish a public forum prior to the commencement of the regular televised Pueblo City Council meetings. The measure seeks to encourage free speech and the free flow of ideas by making the meetings more accessible and available to Pueblo’s citizens.
On September 24th 2007 the Pueblo City Council voted to deny citizens the right to speak during regular televised city council meetings. The ability for citizens to address city council was moved to the non-televised work session meetings. This action was taken in a single meeting without any opportunity for public input.
City Council Member Judy Weaver was quoted in the newspaper saying, “People have to understand that this is our meeting being held in public; it’s not a public meeting,” Weaver said. - September 29 Pueblo Chieftain.
We believe that Pueblo City Council meetings are in fact public and that the citizens of Pueblo should be allowed to speak on camera so that people watching from home on public access TV are allowed to hear their comments.
If you are a registered voter who lives in the Pueblo City limits and are interested in carrying a petition please contact: Chris Nicoll (719) 248-4198 or send an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
For more information visit the PCFOG website at http://www.pueblofreespeech.org
Saturday, July 05, 2008
A “No Vote” on the Convention Center Ballot Question is the Right Choice.
When the City doesn’t want to call a tax a tax they call it a fee. Because of the cost to assemble people for a convention and the ability of technology to conference large groups of people without transporting them, conventions are in decline.
Pueblo: This Will Cost You Money
Here’s Why a “Vote No” on the Convention Center Ballot Question is the Right Choice.
It doesn’t matter if it is called a tax or fee, the money is out of your pocket. Where’s the value to the community?
• National studies show the number and attendance of conventions and trade shows have been decreasing. It is a fact!
• The Urban Renewal Authority (URA), the gatekeepers of the Convention Center, has not been able to prove that the expansion will bring in a significant amount of out-of-town business to Pueblo. We have requested past performance records, URA provided incomplete and inaccurate files, leading one to question the credibility of the URA.
• The Convention Center operated at a deficit every year and will continue to do so even with the expansion. During the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 the operating deficit averaged $400,000 each year (Pueblo Chieftain, 6-4-08). City Attorney, told the City Council (6-9-08) that the Convention Center deficit was $500,000 for 2007.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Lileks On the Fourth of July
Another HIT Piece.
It’s GREAT today in Pueblo. And here’s a laugh from the land of 10,000 Lakes.
Check it
out….
Hope you all have a wonderful celebration of this great day.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Pueblo Springs Ranch — Part 1
Why?
Ever since the suggestion that Pueblo annex a large chunk of land north of the CSU-P campus and east of I-25, people have been making comments, questioning the ‘why’ of this effort.
Sitting on the City Planning and Zoning Commission, ALL of the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of the issue intrigue me. Therefore, I open this thread to solicit the opinions of anyone who cares to comment about the project.
I’ll provide more information, from my perspective, on this effort as time goes on. But after touring the area of the proposed annex I think it’s time we began serious public discussion of this idea.
All you need to do is click on the word “Comments”, in the block below, and enter what you think. You don’t need to be registered. You don’t even need to use your REAL name. But we would like to hear from you if you live in Pueblo or El Paso counties. And…maybe…if you live in the Denver metroplex, as it is impacting on this matter as well, vis-a-vis water.