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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 12, 2015 10:21:18 GMT -6
Laws that you say are in enforceable and make everyone illegal are subject to the enforcers discretion. Do you really think that we should have laws that nobody can afford to follow and then have individuals at City Hall decide who they would like to issue fines to? Don't you think that maybe that is part of why so many good people keep leaving our community? Do you think that our continuously declining population (even while the surrounding area was growing) supports your theory that those practices are acceptable or good at all for our community?
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Post by father of two on Apr 12, 2015 14:49:23 GMT -6
Discretion is always good. As someone who lead the charge to ban burning in the city as a way to help people with severe breathing issues it bothers me that most times there are warnings given. Am I going to jump up and down and shout that its wrong because there is a law? No. But I would sure hope if an offender did it the second time there would be, So if the city makes an ordinance requiring all snow to be removed I don't view that as a bad thing. It makes business owners responsible to remove snow. This should apply to all sidewalks in town. If the city puts snow back up on the sidewalk it's up to them to say, we did it, don't write a ticket. If there is no attempt to remove any snow then I would want communication with owner explaining that that should shovel their walk.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 14, 2015 5:07:08 GMT -6
Discretion is always good. As someone who lead the charge to ban burning in the city as a way to help people with severe breathing issues it bothers me that most times there are warnings given. Am I going to jump up and down and shout that its wrong because there is a law? No. But I would sure hope if an offender did it the second time there would be, So if the city makes an ordinance requiring all snow to be removed I don't view that as a bad thing. It makes business owners responsible to remove snow. This should apply to all sidewalks in town. If the city puts snow back up on the sidewalk it's up to them to say, we did it, don't write a ticket. If there is no attempt to remove any snow then I would want communication with owner explaining that that should shovel their walk. So you think that our laws shouldn't have to be followed as written but that warnings and discretion should be used in enforcement? Did they use discretion and just give the shoot out participants warnings? Did Dalton and Saranadee's killers just get warnings not to kill more of our children? I was at the Council meeting ten minutes early as the sat there chatting but didn't bother giving me any warning that they weren't going to use any discretion(or Constitutional Rights) to even read their ordinance before assassinating my family's character. I saw how they used their discretion to decide whose businesses they wanted to hurt by selectively enforcing the ridiculous ordinance prohibiting the display of any merchandise outside without a Special Use Permit. The City even came to threaten me with a fine for not getting a permit for a 4' fence that didn't even require a permit. Considering that they use their discretion to try to give fines when laws haven't even been violated, are people really supposed to trust individuals at City Hall to just use their discretion on who to fine for whatever they feel like? It would be nice if their snow removal ordinance allowed for business owners to not be responsible for removing the snow that the City pushed off the street, or that they would get a warning. However the reality of it is that any business owner thinking about coming to Streator had better plan on spending huge amounts to remove "all" of the snow from the sidewalk or be subjected to the City of Streator's daily fines. I think that our City should just write reasonable ordinances that are fair and people are actually able to adhere to and then enforce them evenly on everyone.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 18, 2015 19:29:08 GMT -6
Well FOT, are you done talking?
I really think it would be better if our City leaders were to just start writing more responsible ordinances rather than expecting perspective business owners to count on discretion keeping them from being fined for not adhering to such ridiculous laws.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 18, 2015 19:30:45 GMT -6
This was in the Times a couple of days ago:
The city drafted a new TIF facade grant for the 2015-16 year. The grant program focuses on the historic preservation of the downtown facades. The hope is to restore the fronts of buildings to look similar to how they appeared pre-1950s.
That is pretty funny. Do they really think that people are really going to spend the kind of money it would take to do architectural details like they had pre-1950? I have sign panels with architectural detail from that era and they won't even allow them to be signs. They want it to like it did back then, but won't let business have the signage to make money as was obviously seen as a necessity to businesses back then. Maybe they should wake up from their dream world.
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Post by greekgod on Apr 18, 2015 20:35:21 GMT -6
Feeling lonely, Kyle?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 20, 2015 9:09:56 GMT -6
No, not at all. You don't think that I post on here for the company, do you? I didn't really expect that you would answer my question. Obviously there was no reason why I wouldn't respond to your post in its "entity", was there? Certainly you have seen the photos of our downtown pre-1950, haven't you? Doesn't it appear that the local capitalists back then saw signage as very necessary tool? Do you think that our City leaders really expect that they can make our downtown look like it did before 1950 while not allowing signs that they were smart enough to see as very necessary over 60 years ago? I don't really expect that you will answer those questions either(and won't at all be feeling lonely when you don't), I was just pointing out how "silly" their statement is. It kind of reminds me of something you might say. Isn't it reality that we should consider our community lucky to have someone spend the money to just try to keep their buildings from falling apart and make them look a little nicer, rather than to expect them to spend the extra money for architectural details like the trim around the sign panels(that they won't even allow to be signs) on my building? If making the sign on the Streator National Bank building come down improved our downtown somehow in their eyes, why do you suppose they used a picture of it on the cover of their Downtown Plan? Do you think that not having a sign on that building somehow makes it more appealing to any perspective local capitalists? Come on greek, why don't you take the bait and explain your capitalist opinions of our City being so much more restrictive on business now than when we were a much more thriving community, but think they can somehow make it look like it did then?
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Post by greekgod on Apr 20, 2015 13:23:08 GMT -6
Come on greek, why don't you take the bait....? Kyle, feeling lonely? g
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 20, 2015 22:56:25 GMT -6
Come on greek, why don't you take the bait....? Kyle, feeling lonely? g Not at all. I'm just laughing at you, "hiding from the bait". Come on greek, explain to everyone how our City leaders being so restrictive on signs is counter productive to trying to create a better business environment here, much less make our downtown look like it did before 1950. Please, it should be very easy for anyone who claims to know anything about capitalism, shouldn't it?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Apr 27, 2015 8:32:50 GMT -6
Hey dog, I notice that there was a Special Meeting at 8:30 am this morning. I would have gone, but I know from experience that they do not even allow public comment at these Special Meetings.
Here is a description of one of the changes the agenda talks about:
5. ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF STREATOR, COUNTIES OF LASALLE AND LIVINGSTON REMOVING IN ITS ENTIRETY TITLE 2 “ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL” AND REPLACING IT WITH TITLE 2 “ADMINISTRATION” OF THE STREATOR MUNICIPAL CODE
The ordinance updates Title 2 of the Streator Municipal Code to better serve the needs of elected and non-elected officials and municipal employees, and effectively repeals the Administrative Code.
What do you suppose that means? Do you have any educated explanation of what the changes are or will we just have to wait months and maybe even years for them to update their website or file Freedom of Information Act notices so that we can try to figure out what changes they made to their Administrative Code?
Here's another one:
10. ORDINANCE 2014/15-____. ADOPTING AND AMENDING VARIOUS BUSINESS LICENSE FEES.
Does that give you enough information about what they will be voting on to even know what to say at the meeting if they were to allow public comment?
Just like their ridiculous snow removal ordinance, it appears we will just have to wait until after the fact, until they feel like posting the information, to see what ridiculous ordinance they may be passing to put further hardships on business.
I didn't see anything on their agenda to relieve perspective business owners from having to budget huge amounts to have "all" of the snow removed from the sidewalks or be under the threat of their daily fines. I guess I just haven't talked enough about it publicly yet. I wrote to my elected officials, explained how I feel it hurts business and keeps perspective businesses away and asked nicely that they correct the problem, but they don't seem to be responding, yet. It appears I'll just have to keep talking even more.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 20, 2015 5:50:05 GMT -6
Hey dog,
I notice another change in how our City operates. It seems that now they will be posting the agenda packets so that people might now actually know what it is that they will be voting on. I think that more transperancy in our local government is a very good thing.
This change seems to be another example that our City is starting to do things differently. I really do think that Anything could be Possible if they keep changing.
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Post by dog on May 20, 2015 7:12:41 GMT -6
Hey dog, I notice another change in how our City operates. It seems that now they will be posting the agenda packets so that people might now actually know what it is that they will be voting on. I think that more transperancy in our local government is a very good thing. This change seems to be another example that our City is starting to do things differently. I really do think that Anything could be Possible if they keep changing. I have always believed that our current leaders would do what is best for Streator. I am glad you are now seeing that replacing them wasn't the only answer to your complaints. I am glad to see you are not pessimistic about them. I know family is important to you, and now that I see you can change your attitude towards the city, maybe you can convince your family to be as optimistic and move back here, so if the opportunity is there for you to re-open the Majestic, nothing will stand in your way.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on May 20, 2015 7:55:02 GMT -6
Hey dog, I notice another change in how our City operates. It seems that now they will be posting the agenda packets so that people might now actually know what it is that they will be voting on. I think that more transperancy in our local government is a very good thing. This change seems to be another example that our City is starting to do things differently. I really do think that Anything could be Possible if they keep changing. I have always believed that our current leaders would do what is best for Streator. I am glad you are now seeing that replacing them wasn't the only answer to your complaints. I am glad to see you are not pessimistic about them. I know family is important to you, and now that I see you can change your attitude towards the city, maybe you can convince your family to be as optimistic and move back here, so if the opportunity is there for you to re-open the Majestic, nothing will stand in your way. I knew all along that replacing them wasn't the only answer, but since just asking them to change didn't seem to be providing any results, I felt that I had to start asking for much more. Perhaps my family would want to come back to Streator someday if there is continued change and positive results created, obviously that will take considerable time. Do you think there will be anything left of the Majestic then? It is good that they seem to at least be trying to start doing things differently finally, after all the years of my talking and having to endure the attacks of people like you. Do you think they will change that ridiculous snow removal ordinance that creates an unfriendly to business perception at time soon? Do you think they need some people from Arizona to teach them how to write a reasonable ordinance?
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Post by dog on May 20, 2015 9:41:29 GMT -6
I have always believed that our current leaders would do what is best for Streator. I am glad you are now seeing that replacing them wasn't the only answer to your complaints. I am glad to see you are not pessimistic about them. I know family is important to you, and now that I see you can change your attitude towards the city, maybe you can convince your family to be as optimistic and move back here, so if the opportunity is there for you to re-open the Majestic, nothing will stand in your way. Perhaps my family would want to come back to Streator someday if there is continued change and positive results created, obviously that will take considerable time. Do you think there will be anything left of the Majestic then? . I know you are a close family, but since you have property here and the rest of them are at different places, and have no desire to be here, why does that stop you from proceeding without them? Cant you go visit them on occasion, similar to what you do now? Are you currently all living under the same roof now, or even in the same town? It just seems strange that you are so family devoted and have such a positive mental attitude towards Streator, and your family seems less devoted to you and has a pessimistic attitudes towards Streator. Not saying that either of it is wrong, but it just seems strange. I am not sure the importance other than an emotional one, to having your family living back here with you, but would you ever consider trying to change their minds, or take on the Majestic project without their approval?
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Post by father of two on May 20, 2015 19:27:55 GMT -6
Because he still maintains his residence here. He is here frequently. He has said he works out of town a lot. Take the time to read and comprehend what he says.
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