Distractions and Last Minute Additions : City of Blue Ridge

My Dad always taught me, ‘keep your eye on the ball.’  I first learned that lesson at age six when he was hitting grounders to my older brother.  He gave me the glove and proceeded with my first lesson.  My Dad hit the ball, the ball hit a rock, ricocheted quickly and hit me hard in the throat, knocking the breath out of me.  Yes, I learned don’t be distracted, keep your eye on the ball so you will not be blindsided.  Recently, I have found the same truths in baseball can apply to our local government.

The City of Blue Ridge has embarked on a journey and, sadly, they did not allow citizens on the same ship of knowledge, but instead, put us in the rowboat they are towing behind.  Unfortunately, when you don’t know who’s driving the boat, you can’t see where you are going, you have no idea as to the challenges along the way and you have no clue what you will end up with, it’s difficult to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Generally, a government entity does not schedule public meetings on Election Day.  Why would anyone want to compete with such an important civic duty for every citizen?  They give us an opportunity to participate in government by voting for those we believe to be the best representatives, someone to make the best decisions in the day-to-day matters of managing government responsibilities.  Yet, Tuesday, June 9, the City has a regularly scheduled meeting which will be in direct competition with Election Day. You may know your candidates, but few have a clue what’s going on at City Hall.  I can’t help but wonder about this distraction.

What is so important that it needs to be addressed on Election Day?   Better question, why is annexation, currently the hottest topic in the County, not on the agenda?  The vote on annexation was tabled on May 19, but must be decided at some point.  I wish I had the answer, but it seems more like trying to catch the grounder on that rocky surface and no one has any idea which direction this issue is headed.

The annexation debacle started three years ago.  Apparently it was mostly discussions between a developer, the mayor and perhaps a few other staff.  Not until February of this year was the public made aware of the proposed annexation at a Town Hall regarding parking issues.  Suddenly, the evening Town Hall included annexation as part of the agenda.   Who would be distracted by a quick summary and vote on annexation when you came with a focus to discuss all the issues with downtown parking?

Why would the City add such an important proposal to a Town Hall on February 5, when they had a regularly scheduled meeting on February 11?  Most government entities utilize Town Halls for public discussion and concerns, not for matters of official business, like voting on an important issue.  The City did not even have a quorum present at the Town Hall to vote on the issue and had to have another member phone in her vote.  Unfortunately, without a quorum present, this vote is not in compliance with procedures.

At some point the Resolution for Annexation was forwarded to Speaker David Ralston and Senator Steve Gooch at the State level for approval.  The Mayor stated in a meeting that this method was the best way to handle this annexation, but it was also the method with the least public involvement.  Distract the people with the threat of paying to park in their own hometown, slip a critical matter on the agenda, get a quorum together, whether legal or not, approve it and straight to the State Capitol.  Just another ricocheted ball to try to field.

Fast forward to March and the County Commissioners all expressed their surprise and concern for the annexation, resulting in the Commission voting in opposition.  Next was another City Council meeting held on May 19 that was nothing short of watching a pro wrestling match on TV.  Where is Hulk Hogan when you need him because the citizens just got a body slam with the information shared at that meeting.

The saving grace from that Council meeting was two members pushing for public input via a Town Hall that was held June 1.  There were no distractions at that meeting as citizens were allowed to share their perspectives, with an overwhelming majority against this annexation.  It remains to be seen if their comments will make any impact.  Yet, if the Council ignores their concerns, it will send a very clear picture as to the intent and transparency of these elected officials

This annexation project has been described as a simple matter of choice, but the distraction of our simple ‘yes or no’ choice is far outweighed by a plethora of choices already made by developers, supported by some in the City, that will change this County forever. Our future is being planned and pushed forward without an ounce of detail shared.  Many citizens moved here for what Fannin County offers now and have no interest in the over-built density and traffic they left behind and that desire is certainly shared by those who have called Fannin home throughout their lives.

While I am not against growth, I support smart growth with the City, County and citizens working together to guide the future of Fannin County.  There are aspects of this annexation that should be known now, like funding, impact studies, ability of current infrastructure to handle the increased demands, impact to current property owners, etc.  Yet, these details are unknown.  It is much like being asked to vote for a new leader, but having no information on any of the candidates.

We should not be distracted by, nor subject to, our elected and developers trying to rush this annexation through this session of the General Assembly.  The pressure is on with only a couple of weeks remaining in session.  Even one developer stated he was in contact with Speaker Ralston, checking on the ‘d-day’ deadline they needed to meet for approval.  Should this bill make it to the floor and be approved that developer stated he could see his gross revenues increase by a projected $67 million.  Meanwhile, the citizens are still trying to figure out how all of this is going to be funded and the impact it will have on them personally and their quality of life.

I have no idea how this story will end.  The Council’s next agenda has been published, but you should not be distracted by the limited list of agenda items.  They have the ability to add items, like annexation, at any time, even last minute before the meeting.  Keep in mind, you have to sign up a week ahead of the meeting for public comment, yet they can add to the agenda at any point up to the meeting.

Witnessing this series of events and how distracting it has become reinforces why it is critical to know the candidates in an election, see how they respond to issues, understand their vision and ask them questions — then GO VOTE!

I do believe that we should be able to trust our elected officials.  We should expect their trustworthiness.  They are a fiduciary for the citizens, managing something they do not own, for our benefit.  Somehow I wonder if they have been distracted from that fact.

Donna Thompson

Blue Ridge, GA