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Drama Returns, Council Resumes 9/3/2008 8:09:33 AM
Palm Springs . . . a city that moves slow As posted on MyDesert.com
Sorting it out . . .
Palm Springs City Council will be back at it again after being off for their traditional month in August. After the July 30th meeting, for those present or watching it on TV, I'll bet you're still pondering the silliest meeting of the century. It was about whether to allow A-frame (sandwich board) signs downtown or not. I thought the public comments well represented their sides . . . But then, the council got into a rather lenghty discussion that often became demeaning, by inferring that businesses wouldn't have good judgement. Boy oh boy, any potential business watching this meeting would surely pause about whether or not to relocate downtown. Councilman Mills was especially outspoken, projecting that once you allow signs on a trial base, you will never be able to overturn the ordinance. Wow, it's that kind of thinking that limits change and stifles new ideas. Come on, if city council is truly a governing body, surely they have the power to change things that don't work out. They should be applauded for trying. Be adventuresome, try it . . . give it a chance. I acknowledge Mayor Pougnet for at least expressing that this issue was taking up too much time. And all I could think about was these are the very people that destroy the look of our city by insulting us with godzillion political signs each election year. They push them in the ground everywhere and tape them all over . . . and even more insulting , they put many, many of the same signs beside each other. Do they really want to have this discussion? Nothing is more distasteful than the trashing of our city by political signs.
More importantly what concerns me the most, is how can we ever expect the Museum Market Plaza to become a reality when council engages in such dialogue over the 'little' stuff. I can see the whole project being held up because they disagree on the shape of a door knob. The council is going to have to toughen up and take risks to get this project done. Here it is already September and at tonight the city council meeting they will finally adopt the proposed ordinance for 'portable open signs' . . . Make no mistake, there is still a 'climate of control' by some council members. They have indicated that behind the scene they will create a 'criteria' for what the signs can and can't say. So it's over, but it's not over . . .
Eight months of 2008 behind us and what did City Council accomplish? I know they are good people who care and work hard . . . but how much did they accomplish? How do they measure their effectiveness and how do they assess whether or not they are accomplishing the people's agenda and fulfilling the promises they made? I am still watching and sorting it out . . .
