Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

The Mayor was at the Community Enhancement Board last night.  So was Commissioner Chervony.  It was clear that the Mayor wanted to watch the tear down and provide valuable input to help.  But because of laws and stuff, she couldn't.   Still her presence was felt and there is NO TRUTH to the rumor that she snuck away during the meeting and created this post it art on Frank Rollason's door.  No truth at all and I will not be party to spreading the rumor that the mayor snuck out of the meeting and created this post it art which says QUIT NOW on Frank Rollason's door.  Cause she didn't.

Good.  Now that's cleared up, lets get to the meeting.  

The Community Enhancement Board agenda comprised a variety of old and new items with a single overarching theme - why is nothing getting done?  Specifically, why has the village manager, one Rootin' Tootin' Straight Shootin' Son of a Gun Frank Rollason, sat in all those meetings and not reported back the progress or executed on any of the items?  

The items on the agenda included a discussion of dumpsters occupying public land on Harbor Island, a building that summarily took over public parking spaces and marked them "Private", the failing decal program (sidenote below*), Village signs, landscaping, the Apartheid Wall on North Bay Island, and a review of the minutes for the last 7 months.   

But the theme was the same.  Why is nothing getting done?   Now if it were anyone else but Rootin' Tootin' Straight Shootin' Son of a Gun Frank Rollason being questioned by the board members, I might have felt sorry for him.  Heck, I even did feel a twinge of solidarity towards him during the barrage but then he did what he does best  - lied and condescended.   

For example, during the discussion about covering the excrement collectors for dogs, RTSSSOG carefully explained that the bags and baskets had changed and he was surprised that no one had seen that on the web site.   

I was there.  I have one of those new fashioned Smart Phone thingamabobs and so I called up the Intertubes and searched the site, WWW.NBVILLAGE.COM,  and there's nothing there.  Nope.  

Then in response to the other complaints, well, what's a guy to do?  He explained that either the complaint had already been addressed and if the board was smarter they'd know that, or would be addressed just like he told them he would, or it couldn't be addressed because other people wouldn't let him address the problems or that they should take it up with the commission or someone else who gives a a rats patootie but Cheese 'n' Crackers stop busting him.  Now the Board's  all over his posterior too, really?  It must be their lady time.  

The Board for their part were not buying it.  After all, they are only one of two remaining boards in the  village and they won't go down without a fight.  They didn't survive by buying into lies. 

Back in the day, when the Mayor and the Manager were starry eyed and believing in each others promises, they jointly destroyed every other board - The Budget Oversight Board , The Animal Control Board, The Youth Services Board - because they weren't going to let anyone rain on their parade.  But now that the Mayor's eyes have been opened, she is glad that this one board survived so she could have allies in her decision to finally divorce.  A Mayor needs friends and not just the imaginary ones.  

During his apologia (Latin word - cost me $5 - means "explanation" but this is a smart blog and my readers demand the  good words), the manager touched on a few themes.  

• Did the board know that the parking decal stuff was all complicated?  Well he didn't but now he knows that people have more cars than two sometimes and that some people who own property but not a condo or house want access to their property and that some people hire home health aides and baby sitters to help them at home and sit on their babies and they need a place to park so there's a lot to consider.  Of course, every other city that has implemented a parking program knows this but we have to be all North Bay Village Special.
  
  
• The website is being redesigned to do things.  The things were not discussed but it totally will.
  
  
  
• The Tot Lot is being redone and will open again someday.  Not in the summer when the kids are out of school but someday.   

 The long painful march towards the inevitable breakup continues.  We all know how this turns out and it won't end well for the mayor or the manager.  It's just a question of time.  

In most breakups, those not directly involved try very hard not to choose sides as that never ends well for them.  In this one, it's easy for me.  I choose the sidelines.  Pass the popcorn!

Kevin Vericker

July 31, 2015