PUBLIC FAVORS PLANS E -- AND J! Council should consider citizens' Ward reapportionment plan, too

COLUMBIA, 9/13/11  (Beat Byte) --  In a surprising development at a public hearing before Columbia's Ward Reapportionment Committee (WRC) last week, a plan unveiled late last month by an informal group of 25 citizens from four Wards took a strong second place as the most favored Ward reapportionment plan.  

 

The number one favorite -- Plan E -- extends the First Ward to the west, stopping just short of giving the Ward an open boundary. 

 

 By going any farther, it would include current 2nd Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill's residence, moving him into the First Ward.  Nicknamed by city development staffers, Plan J or the Citizens' Plan is mostly an extension of Plan E which gives the First Ward a first time open boundary, but encompasses Thornhill's home.   

 

"I believe that Plan J is the most viable option, and best serves the needs of the First Ward and the downtown neighborhood associations who have worked with us throughout this process," said North Central Columbia Neighborhood Association president Pat Fowler.  

 

Roughly 45 people attended the hearing, which devoted nearly an hour to public testimony.  WRC members have just two days left to turn in their recommendations to the Columbia City Council, where Plan E is expected to pass.   

Presidents and representatives of numerous neighborhood associations offered the most powerful statement yet about the need for a plan that will not compromise political, ideological, economic, and minority voter interests.   With one exception -- former Mayoral candidate John Clark -- every speaker roundly condemned reapportionment plans such as A and D that might "gerrymander" progressive, actively-voting neighborhoods by consolidating them into the First Ward. 

Speakers also weren't shy about criticizing some WRC decisions, such as the plan to avoid encroaching on Council member residences.  Not part of the Committee's legal mandate, the idea originated with Committee members themselves, WRC chairman Bob Pugh explained.   

 

"I believe the efforts you are making not to disrupt any current council members' seat is misplaced," she said, noting that past reapportionments have forced politicians who wish to remain in office to relocate, including Southern District Boone County Commissioner Karen Miller.  "I don’t see a compelling reason why you are attempting to provide an accommodation to our sitting council representatives not called for in current city ordinance.  Your energy in this matter does not serve the best interests of our citizens."  

Fowler and other speakers called it wrong-headed.

Minority Mens Network president Steve Calloway -- whose organization originally favored Plan B, which would extend the First Ward north -- said that vote had changed.  "We now favor Plan E," he explained.   Also speaking for minority voters, NAACP president Mary Ratliff said her organization still favored Plan B.   Plan E, she argued, would disrupt an existing neighborhood association.  

In the path of Plan B, Northland-Parker Neighborhood Association president Annette Kolling-Buckley said her organization firmly opposes it.

The evening's contrarian, John Clark was alone in urging the WRC to approve Plans D and F, arguing that the city's present strategy -- of relying on Council members outside the central city to vote in the interests of the central city -- was a "wedge" arrangement 40 years of history had proven a failure.   

 

2 comments:

1. 
   Anonymous  September 14, 2011 at 9:52 AM

   Plan J makes most sense of all the "formal" plans on the table.
   Personally, I'd like to see the first ward disband and get divided up into the other wards with the special business district using the mayor as liaison. 

   
   Or, divide up the town into quadrants along an agreeable axis.

   
   Of course this would mean a smaller council to streamline council meeting activity and give the ward reps an opportunity to cultivate their prospective wards by using let's say 2 deputy council reps per ward.

   
   I concede it may be too"radical" for this town to consider a smaller city council and cultivate ward citizen involvement via the use of ward deputies.

   
   Given the circumstances, Plan J is probably best for the first ward, if it is to be retained.

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2. 
   Charles E Dudley JrSeptember 16, 2011 at 7:47 AM

   We are this Public who favors this plan? Mike do you have some solid numbers? Spread sheets about how many different people from all of the Wards approve/disapprove of any of these plans?
   
   Just who is this Public you speak of or are you only talking about those at the meetings and trying to claim those who were there are speaking for everybody. They do not speak for me that is for sure.
   
   What percentage is this "Public" you speak of compared to the entire population of Columbia and even Boone County?
   
   Not trying to be offensive here at all my friend but please IMHO do not include the word "Public" when it is in reality only a "Select Group Of People" who approve.
   
   I myself think all of the plans are complete and total junk due to they do nothing to eliminate Racial and Political Party lines in our so called and proclaimed Diverse Community.
   
   They also do nothing to better facilitate the exact areas of funding for all City Infrastructure needs by being able to break down the areas in question more accurately.
   
   There is so much these new Ward Boundary Lines Fail to accomplish that they could but as some in this community know this is only done for the "Special Interest Groups" IE: "Those Select Groups Of People" and not for the entire community as a whole and it's real health and wellness needs so our fair city functions so much better in and across ALL City Departments.

   Reply