Introduction
I have been actively involved in city issues for the last year. It has been an interesting experience to say the least. I have had the honor to get to know many people who are passionate about doing the best for Marfa. Of course, everyone's definition of "best" is personal. And that is what makes this so interesting. Nobody has bad intentions for this small municipality, simply different ideas of what is best. Ideas are presented and discussed and debated. Elected officials do their best to fulfill their oaths of office. Agreements, disagreements, conflicts, resolutions-it is all part of the process. City employees do an excellent job of taking care of city business without bias in the difficult situation of small town familiarity.
This blog is my first experiment with blogging. It is my intention to offer my comments and observations on my recent experience and current on-goings with the city. I admire the work done by the Big Bend Sentinel and the recent Border Hotline. Reporting on city matters is a never-ending and often thankless job but also one of the most important parts of a functional community. My hat's off to them.
I welcome others to comment as they see fit either in agreement or disagreement. Sign your name or don't as you wish. I will do my best to be responsible and expect the same. As many know, my areas of interest in the city have revolved around construction, recycling, zoning and citizen access. I am far from being a model citizen, and I have my own set of biases. I believe that a vigorous and respectful debate is healthy for the community.
This blog is my first experiment with blogging. It is my intention to offer my comments and observations on my recent experience and current on-goings with the city. I admire the work done by the Big Bend Sentinel and the recent Border Hotline. Reporting on city matters is a never-ending and often thankless job but also one of the most important parts of a functional community. My hat's off to them.
I welcome others to comment as they see fit either in agreement or disagreement. Sign your name or don't as you wish. I will do my best to be responsible and expect the same. As many know, my areas of interest in the city have revolved around construction, recycling, zoning and citizen access. I am far from being a model citizen, and I have my own set of biases. I believe that a vigorous and respectful debate is healthy for the community.
posted by RobC at 8:38 PM
5 Comments:
It is about time citizens come forward and take their city back. Show your support for the 3 council members that try to do the right thing and try to establish a full council with 5 members.
ROBC, you should be applauded for sharing these view points with the citizens of Marfa. I don't however agree with your personal vendetta against Mayor Lanman. Where was your name on the ballot? It is easy to sit back and pass judgement on someone when you are not in the hotseat listening to a boatload of habitual complainers. A lot of things have gone wrong since Mayor Lanman has taken office, but then again, I believe the last Mayor's complacency was just as bad. Also, you need to point out who hired the current City Administrator in the first place. Let's go to the root of the problem. Do a little root cause analysis... I agree with you when you say that it is not right for the Mayor to not let the people make their comments. Although, I have been to a City Council meeting that had lasted way too long and was just a bunch of crying and complaining. A time limit on citizens and councilmembers comments would make the evening more enjoyable I am sure. Also, ROBC, while these issues that you have brought up are very important, I think that the majority of the citizens of Marfa, would like to hear about the creation of jobs,affordable housing,and the paving of their streets, not the petty squabbling of a Mayor and his competition. Maybe when the Marfa elite run for office this will happen--or maybe not. I guess we will have to see in May.
I do agree with you that we have a disfunctional city administrator position. Regardless of how he was hired, he is what we have. Unfortunately, council has strung him along since his contract ran out in February. Without a contract, he can lose his job at any minute, and we continue to pay his travel costs to Corpus every week. The mayor uses this vulnerability to push him around. The result is that he does the mayor's bidding instead of council's bidding. He reports to the collective council.
You may call this blog a personal vendetta. That is your right of expression. This blog is MY right of expression about the sorry way the city is being run these days. It is a public accounting and represents nothing more than the opinions of contributors. I was not on the ballot because I don't want the job. That does not mean I want the job to be done poorly. My personal contribution of substantial time as a volunteer does allow me some right to comment. No?
Regarding "crying and complaining" and the "Marfa elite," I don't know what you are talking about. Can you clarify? This is how local democratic politics works. It may not be pretty. Do you have a better system?
I look forward to your blog on jobs, housing, and paving. All important issues I agree. Would you like to become a contributor to this blog? The city is involved in multiple low-income housing projects already. Who doesn't want better streets? Public Works does a great job with the budget they are given. Thanks for your comment.
Who was it said "I calls'em like I see's em?" One of the primary duties of a mayor in a type A general law city is to preside over the meetings, and that includes keeping order. Seems as if the city needs to pay attention to Rob's suggestions for rules of procedure. That way, the Mayor wouldn't have to be the fastest gavel in the west.
Considering Marfa's priorities, they were the most well expressed as I have seen in a recent letter to the editor from Mike Farley. I think he is a member of the "Marfa Elite." He owns the Hip O (west) ranch. He has been a city council member in the Houston area and has two sons in high school in Houston, yet he takes time to go to the City Council meetings, was asked by Council Member Martinez to serve on the City's Solid Waste Landfill Committee (by the way, where is THAT?), and furthermore has offered additional time in service to the City of Marfa since he intends to spend a lot more time out here. He doesn't have an airplane.
Speaking of priorities, the Public Works guys haven't had a cost of living raise in 4 years.
And you would be amazed at the number of Marfa citizens who are closely following this blog. They aren't the "habitual complainers" and they aren't the Marfa elite.
ROBC, do you not think that it is odd that everytime there is an agenda item to discuss the City Administrator's position, the previous Mayor becomes ill (during or before the meeting), or must leave town? Why does he find it so hard to discuss the job of his "chosen" City Adminstrator? You have a video of Mayor Lanman barging out of the room when Councilman Martinez's typical 15 + minute rambles about what he did when he was in office (which was NOTHING, by the way). Where is the video of Councilman Martinez's "I'm sick and tired." stomp out of the meeting? Let's spread the responsibility around here. I am by no means a staunch supporter of the current Mayor, but I think that some of the responsibility needs to be spread out over the current and the past. Furthermore, I don't believe that Mayor Lanman can push somebody as cunning and intelligent as the current City Adminstrator around. He does nobody's bidding but his own.
You are entitled to your opinion of the current adminstration, but as stated before, the previous adminstration did NOTHING at all--EVER. Sat on their hands and completely ignored the public. I recall many a meeting back in the day when the previous Mayor told people during citizens comments to sit down and in a roundabout way--shut up. It was as bad, if not worse. And as far as not wanting the job--who does? The Marfa voters need to elect someone who is going to take in consideration the interests of the community, its inhabitants, and the future Marfa. For years they have had only self-serving, power-hungry individuals who are set in life and happy with the status quo. I am anxious to see who is going to run for Mayor the next go around.
My statement about "crying and complaining" was pertaining to the long, drawn-out dissertations of certain City Council members during Councilmember's comments and citizens comments. The current meeting structure needs to be streamlined-4 1/2 to 5 hour meetings are not only unbearable to the the public, but to the council as well. Local democratic politics don't run this way anyhere else. Cities 10 times the size of Marfa don't have meetings this vermiculated. Of course, it would be a good idea to have a quorum every now and then. In regards to the "Marfa Elite"... How many Hispanics were at the last meeting? A handful? Although the Hispanic population is the democratic majority in town, they have become distanced by the Marfa Elite (those with huge pocketbooks who view Marfa as their playground and not as a place to raise their children). They are driving up the cost of living for the working man, driving up real estate, and are dead set on making money off of the sweat of the poor.
ROBC, I am seriously considering your offer on becoming a contributing blogger. I like to look at the whole picture instead of bits and pieces. I do believe that the current mess that plagues Marfa is not a result of Mayor Lanman alone. I just think that people are paying more attention now. Again--I am not a staunch supporter of him. Most of your beefs are legitimate, some are overboard. But I do think that all vendettas (both his and yours) need to be thrown to the wayside and a teamwork approach needs to be brought to the table. I find it easy to applaud you on the initiation of this blog.
Anonymous II, good call on the Mayor's responsibilities. Eventhough the current Mayor was green when he gained office, he has had adequate time to brush up on the proper procedures for holding City Council meetings.
I don't know if Mr. Farley is a Marfa Elitist or not, but he should be commended for taking the time and effort to go the the meetings and offering to help within the community. He obviously has some type of interest in the community.
I also agree with you on the Public Works guys getting a raise. Didn't the current City Administrator just give somebody who threatened to quit a raise?
I am glad at the number of people who are following this blog and I am sure that they aren't just the rich or infamous. I am neither, and I am following it. Let's just see how many people are actually going to do something about it come May.
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