These first two months of 2010 have flown by... and I have to be honest, I feel as though I blinked and tomorrow is March. So much for getting you more engaged - that's what I thought today as I updated my other blog.
Well here we go! First things first - Do I need to re-schedule my quarterly coffee talk? This weekend - I met two residents individually versus my original plan to hold a coffee talk. Can't blame me though - last time I did it I only had one taker and she was a friend. For goodness sakes there was more press that people. I am extremely busy and juggling lots so I am posing the question - Wanna come and talk to me in a group setting or not?
Two - where are you guys at the meetings? The best way to get a dialogue going is to know what we are talking about. Yes, you most certainly can go online and see the agenda and minutes from the meetings but there is nothing like being there in person. You won't have to talk or anything. Normally, the meetings take minimal time - Committee of the Whole Meetings on Tuesday are somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 minutes on average and the Board of Trustee meetings on Thursdays take a lot less. Think 15 minutes on a long night. It is worth it especially if you have any questions and/or concerns about what happening.
Finally, with close to 10 months on the job - I want some feedback! In all fairness, to date I've been emailed, called or approached by a total of 6 people and I appreciate that. I always respond to every inquiry within 24 to 48 hrs. I've even had an anonymous comment on the blog questioning my vote on the Home Rule Sales Tax increase. I love to interact and ask that you bring it - call, email - leave comments here. Let me know how I'm doing and what I can do to improve my performance on the Village Board. That is an offer you cannot refuse - how many public officials solicit feedback that is not tied to a specific issue but to their performance alone? I'm betting not many but counting on someone to prove me wrong.
Enjoy your start to March and I will post again next Sunday with a preview of our first COW and BOT meetings of the month.
I had planned on attending your second coffee talk (missed the first one because I didn't read your blog in time and had other activities planned already). But then I realized that if I spoke to you about the sales tax increase, you would know me by my moniker. (I post on other blogs where I appreciate the anonymity).
ReplyDeleteI do understand that the sales tax was increased to take advantage of the spending done by people from out of town. But I live in town; I shop in town. I'm unemployed and it's been very hard. Granted food and medicine isn't taxed, but we have to wear clothes. We use paper products, the kids need school supplies. The percentage of sales tax increase seemed disproportionate to the raise my spouse received (none). I know I'm not alone in the struggle, but to this LITH resident, the increase was a real kick in the teeth.
Now I see LITH has this big campaign to shop local. Yeah, I don't think so.
I would love to speak to you in person - any chance on a coffee talk just us? Can you email me at the village email?
ReplyDeletedbarreto@lith.org
Hope to year from you...