The rain and storms of Christmas, 2015 brought flooding, flooding and more flooding to Blue Ridge. Our prayers for all those whose businesses and homes were impacted. For some businesses and property owners downtown, this was just like it has been for months -a nightmare. Storm drains clogged up, the small drain pipes could not handle the volume of water. Lakes formed throughout downtown.

Even though the storms of the last two weeks were magnificent they illuminated the issues with the failing infrastructure in downtown Blue Ridge immensely.  These are the issues the citizens of Blue Ridge are begging the council to address.

It was Christmas, but we hope Arp, Pack and Kendall took the time to get out and survey downtown to view what was happening in their city. If not, then where is their responsibility and their concern for what ails the city?  They can’t understand budgets and why the people are crying for them to “WAKE UP” and stop wasting tax dollars on non-sense investigations and attorneys and make intelligent plans on how to help fix the critical issues. They can’t take off their rose colored glasses long enough to see that precious dollars are needed to help start the downtown projects that everyone wants done.

In the last special called Council meeting, the mayor brought the city attorney David Syfan, grant writer Angela Steedly, several professional consultants and the council together to discuss the projects and funding sources. After reviewing the same information that has been on multiple agendas over the past year, the council did vote for engineering to begin the evaluation of the utilities and storm drains. There was reluctance to chase outside funding sources such as grants but after an hour of confusing and nasty dialogue instigated by Arp, there was agreement that funding is absolutely needed to get the work done. Arp pretended to understand the funding process, but still exhibited a lack of comprehension about why tightening the city’s out of control spending is needed immediately. Kendall and Pack were totally clueless in this discussion. They sat like they always do “doe eyes in headlights staring at Arp for direction.”  Yes people, it is the blind leading the blind.

Syfan was there to hear first hand the stale and repetitious dialogue between the “professionals” and the 3 council members who complain “we are in the dark, we are never informed on what is going on.”  Arp, Pack and Kendall have heard the same information over and over, they just don’t listen nor do they want to hear it unless it supports their personal agendas.

FYI:  Why do these three council members vote for their family and friends  to sit on the city’s critical boards who have no knowledge of what’s needed be on that board nor have the sense to comprehend the issues to be able to vote intelligently?  And why did these three council members refuse to take the time to go to classes to learn how to be a council member when they were elected?  They have their personal agendas, and they are ” puppets” carrying out other’s interest that is not in the best interest of the city. They have exhibited they have NO desire to stand on their own feet, speak individually about what is needed.  They have made NO effort to educate themselves on what other cities are doing compared to Blue Ridge. Being a council member is a lot more than coming to meetings, sitting in the big chairs and acting like a big shot!  These are all symptoms of why a recall is needed to remove Arp, Pack and Kendall immediately!

Ronald Garrett