Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Article published Nov 22, 2006
Pickerington council deadlocked
Economic development agreement defeated after first reading, will be brought back Dec. 5
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
PICKERINGTON - A proposed economic development agreement that would forge ties between Pickerington and Violet Township saw its first defeat before Pickerington City Council on Tuesday.
But the agreement will appear before council again at its Dec. 5 meeting.

Council members were deadlocked 3-3 in support of and against the first reading.

Legislation must undergo three readings to be enacted, and first readings don't tend to be controversial.

The vote automatically failed because there was no tie-breaking vote.

''I hate to see an issue this significant be voted down,'' Mayor David Shaver said following the vote.

The economic development agreement has received a lot of criticism by dissenting council members - President Brian Wisniewski, Vice President Ted Hackworth and Michael Sabatino.

The councilmen believe the agreement would be detrimental and ''would hand over the city's keys to the township.''

Councilman Jeff Fix, who supports the agreement, believes it would help even the city's tax base and take the burden off residents.

The city and township would work jointly in any future commercial development within the township boundaries and Pickerington Local School District boundaries under the proposed agreement, which has undergone many revisions.

Council is supposed to consider options such as how much revenue the city will share with the township. Council also will decide how long the agreement will last.

A tie-breaker was needed to keep the agreement before council, but Councilwoman Heidi Riggs was absent due to a family illness. So the tie remained and the agreement went down - at least for a moment.

Shaver immediately suggested the proposal appear before council's Service Committee. The proposal just made its way out of the Service Committee, by a 2-1 vote, prior to appearing before council.

Fix echoed Shaver's comment and requested the proposal also appear on the next council agenda. Shaver selected Fix to work with the township on developing an economic development agreement.

Fix initially tried to table the legislation because of Riggs' absence, but that motion also failed after a 3-3 vote. Fix called it ''disgusting'' that council members wouldn't table the legislation.

''I'm disappointed,'' Fix said following the meeting. ''I think it's a good idea for all council members to have the right to vote. The minority (council members) took advantage of that. This is not the way good government should be run.''

Wisniewski said Fix asked him before the meeting if he would table the legislation and he told him no.

''I've been stabbed in the back enough about this,'' Wisniewski said. ''Not one person had anything to say about this ordinance tonight. If this is such a great thing for the community, I think at least one member should have said it.''

Fix isn't worried. He believes he has enough votes to ultimately get the agreement passed through council. Council members Cristie Hammond, Keith Smith and Fix cast favorable votes Tuesday.

Fix believes Riggs would've supported the first reading as well.

Wisniewski plans to fight the proposal all the way, even if it passes through a majority of council.

''I will wait till after the holidays to knock on doors and gather signatures for a referendum,'' Wisniewski said. ''This issue has done nothing but divide council and the community. Residents have already started having meetings (regarding a referendum).''

A referendum would allow voters to decide the issue.

''I encourage them to put it on the ballot,'' Fix said. ''Citizens would overwhelmingly pass it because it's the best thing to do for the city.''

From the Dispatch

Pickerington land deal fails in backer?’s absence
By Kirk D. Richards
The Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Though the Pickerington City Council is divided over an ordinance that would restrict the city's ability to annex land, a first reading of the proposal was expected to pass last night without a hitch.

But one of four supporters of the restrictions on the seven-member council was absent. Councilwoman Heidi Riggs called in to say she could not attend the meeting because a relative was ill.

So Councilman Jeff Fix, who negotiated the terms of the proposal with Violet Township, asked that the issue be tabled, saying that Riggs should be allowed to vote on it.

No way, said colleagues Ted Hackworth, Michael Sabatino and Brian Wisniewski, who are all against the proposal.

The three then voted against the motion. Although Fix, Cristie Hammond and Keith Smith voted in favor, the 3-3 tie meant that the issue failed.

That means that a proposal for restricting annexation returns to the Service Committee, which would have to send it back to the entire council before the members could adopt it.

Mayor David Shaver, who supports the proposal, criticized the opponents for what he described as ''taking advantage'' of Riggs' inability to attend the meeting.

''It's disgusting,'' Fix added.

During a recess, Fix and Wisniewski traded barbs outside City Hall.

''I've been stabbed in the back enough over it,'' Wisniewski said, responding to Fix's complaint that he refused to table the issue. ''I'm tired of the crap.''

''You just perpetuated it,'' Fix said as he paced in the cold to take a smoke break.

As in the past, Wisniewski insisted that 30 years is too long to tie the hands of future Pickerington officials from annexing residential and agricultural land.

Fix, on the other hand, said that the proposed agreement with Violet Township would promote commercial development; he also argued that the city doesn't need any more residential development, saying there are 1,800 homes that have been approved but haven't been built yet.

''That's an outright lie,'' Wisniewski said.

Wisniewski then said that there is not much land available for commercial development along Rt. 33 within the Pickerington Local School District, as supporters have said.

If the issue eventually passes, Wisniewski vowed that he would help circulate a referendum petition to give residents a chance to undo the ordinance at the ballot.

Go ahead, Fix said.

''If there's a referendum, I think it would pass overwhelmingly,'' he said.

krichards@dispatch.com

Q and A time

Congratulations to the city residents on the short stay of execution for our beloved Pickerington. I want to cite some quotes and question them. So to the Cut and Paste Police I ask for some latitude.

''I hate to see an issue this significant be voted down,'' Mayor David Shaver said following the vote.

At one point early in your term, we thought you were on the city?’s side in all matters. We now see how misguided we were Mr. Mayor. In 2005 legislation to send an issue to the ballot was voted down. It would have been restrictive to council in the manner they do business. Other charter changes were sent to the ballot and passed overwhelmingly by the voters. At the time you were mute on the issue not passing due to a then minority member lying about his support of the issue. You expressed no outrage or dissention at that time. That issue was clearly a much more significant matter then this issue of selling out your constituents. In retrospect, it appears you may have had no personal agenda related to that matter but now I have to wonder if you do. So why does this issue gain ?“significant?” status in your mind when other agreeably more important not claim your notice? And if you want to do something as stupid as forcing a piece of legislation clearly voted down back onto successive agendas, why have an agenda or any rules at all? Why not just make up your own rules each time you bang your damned gavel? You are omnipotent, your highness, and you can rule the world ad you see fit. We don?’t need no steenking rules!




?“Councilman Jeff Fix, who supports the agreement, believes it would help even the city's tax base and take the burden off residents.?”

Although this point has been beaten to death, I still want to ask one last time and hope that someone can post an answer. The keyword in the statement is ?“believes.?” I believe I will win the Lotto this weekend. I have no proof to support that belief nor is there any proof possible. Mr. Fix, I plead with you to offer a shred of proof to back your beliefs. Please for once in you career of promises without deliveries, prove to us with a detailed cost/benefit analysis anything to support your beliefs before you sell out your constituents.




?“Fix echoed Shaver's comment and requested the proposal also appear on the next council agenda.?”

Same question as above Mr. Mayor. Why did you not order the charter change in 2005 back to council after it was defeated? No personal gain is the answer I suspect but please feel free to answer for yourself.




?“Fix called it ''disgusting'' that council members wouldn't table the legislation.?”

Replay 2003 ?– 2005 council actions in you memory Mr. Fix. Again, you claimed in your campaign to have participated in governing this entire area for seven years. Where was your disgust when the minority of council during that timeframe affected important legislation simply because they could and because of absences of usually Ms. Riggs? You might have made the assumption that she didn?’t have the stones to attend last night. She is in the middle of a significant career change and she can?’t risk controversy. Frankly I was surprised it wasn?’t Hammond that was too scared to attend and vote.

Also, on this subject, how many times did the majority of council agree to table legislation when Mr. Parker or Mr. Wright was unable to attend? Several.

I am just getting warmed up - more to come.....

More Q and A



''I'm disappointed,'' Fix said following the meeting. ''I think it's a good idea for all council members to have the right to vote. The minority (council members) took advantage of that. This is not the way good government should be run.''

Hey Fix, why are you so intensely hypocritical? You criticize your council but when the tables were turned against Wright, Parker and Sabatino, it was OK? That is becoming the prevalent theme in this council?’s statements ?– It?’s OK for us but wasn?’t for them. Get over it. You are a living, breathing replica of everything you claimed was evil with former councils. Lie all you want and tell us all your beliefs with no substantive data to back it up but don?’t ever try to tell us you are in any way whatsoever different from the evil councils of the past.




''I've been stabbed in the back enough about this,'' Wisniewski said. ''Not one person had anything to say about this ordinance tonight. If this is such a great thing for the community, I think at least one member should have said it.''

You ain?’t seen nothing yet Brian. Wait to see where you?’re seated come January. You, Ted and Mike won?’t see a seat on any committee. You three would be better off telling the President-in-waiting that you desire no committee seats whatsoever. They want to wear the big shoes? Let them wear them all. Then try to see how efficient our government becomes when Riggs and Smith continue to miss as many meetings as they usually do. I hope Parker eventually reminds us of how he was maligned for missing meetings and count his absences compared to Riggs and Smith.




?“Fix isn't worried. He believes he has enough votes to ultimately get the agreement passed through council. Council members Cristie Hammond, Keith Smith and Fix cast favorable votes Tuesday.?”

?“What, me worry??” ?– Alfred E. Neuman

Of course he is not worried. His approach to governing is shadow government. In addition to conducting the negotiations resulting in this farce of an agreement out of the public eye except at the Grapevine, he also negotiated the votes and conducted the deliberations outside the public eye by his own written admissions. My God, why doesn?’t the media investigate that??




''I encourage them to put it on the ballot,'' Fix said. ''Citizens would overwhelmingly pass it because it's the best thing to do for the city.''

I am glad you are basing this statement on the same mountain of data you are basing the agreement on because it will be rewarding to see the voters stick this so far up your as_, check that, nose that it will never see sunshine again. Remember Fix, those you condemned as being so evil in the past at least had the testicular fortitude to resign or not seek reelection after Issues 17, 18 and 19. Since you now live according to their rules, follow that lead, too.


Time for another pot of coffee - more to come......