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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 18, 2014 14:49:54 GMT -6
A Special Use Permit seems like a pretty extreme hoop to make retailers jump through for a once a year event, or even to just set some mums outside, don't you think? How can I argue with the plywood for sale sign though? I think other communities are able to craft ordinances that work better, don't they? I would agree that it is an extreme hoop to make retailers have a once a year sale or just to sell mums. Once again you miss the basis of the argument and dont give any solutions to the problem. All you say is other communities are able to craft ordinances that would work,or you dont have time to create an ordinance yourself, so as not to require a permit in the above cases.Do these other communities actually have an ordinance that will address the issue of turning their downtown into a used appliance junkyard, while still allowing for a once a year or very small display, or do they just enforce their ordinances selectively, like you rail the city about doing? Show me an ordinance that doesnt burden a retailer, but still protects the integrity of the downtown area as a whole, and of the other retailers. That is how you solve problems. Not by rehashing the same thing over and over, but by putting forth alternatives. I will support your effort if you put forth a logical,feasible alternative, and I would bet many of the people in Streator would too. You solve problems how you want to and I'll solve problems how I want to. They are the law makers, the only ones who can approve them, and the ones who are getting paid for it. I tried working with them, but they clearly have displayed their lack of willingness to work with me. In my opinion ,it would just be waste of my time to write any ordinance or present any ideas to the Council with Mayor Lansford's closed minded attitude leading our City.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 18, 2014 14:50:49 GMT -6
A public drunkenness ordinance was a suggestion that I had years ago. The ordinance being drafted now is not a result of my request at all, it is others talking about the problem being in their yards. Wasnt it you that said this a few posts ago: "I feel that the years of the turning of the heads to the problems has not produced good results. I believe that the more people who are talking about the problems, the more chance of change there is. What made it to where all of the sudden people are complaining about others passing out in their yards to prompt our City to introduce a public drunkenness ordinance? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AFTER SEEING IT POSTED ON OUR WINDOWS that we also see people passing out wherever they like as not THE START OF A TREND and maybe our next election could find us with more new leaders doing even more to create a better business environment? being a problem, that they decided that it was time to start speaking up? I don't know, but by the same token CAN YOU SAY THAT IT IS NOT HELPING TO CREATE CHANGE?" Arent you implying that you feel it was a result of your efforts? [/quote] Wasn't that in response to a comment that what I have to say has had no effect? I certainly can't say that this ordinance is a result of what I talk about, the Mayor says that it is a result of a problem with people passing out in the yards of others. I do find it interesting though that it is coming now after I have been talking about these problems being partly responsible for us not being able to have an open movie palace and the posting on my windows that we consider those activities unacceptable.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 18, 2014 14:51:10 GMT -6
A Special Use Permit seems like a pretty extreme hoop to make retailers jump through for a once a year event, or even to just set some mums outside, don't you think? How can I argue with the plywood for sale sign though? I think other communities are able to craft ordinances that work better, don't they? Ottawa has a 3 page permit app for temporary or seasonal use of a sidewalk. They require insurance, descriptions of merchandise and display. They require a $10 fee for up to a 10 day use or offer a $30 a month for a minimum of one month and up to 10 months. The city retains the right to revoke the permit at any time. Here is a link to the web page. Scroll down to find the permit for use of sidewalk: www.cityofottawa.org/government/permits-and-formsWould you consider THIS permit too restrictive for Streator? I think a slightly lower monthly fee and/or multiple month discount could create an even more inviting to business perception, but isn't it amazing that they are able to allow it without the extreme hoops for businesses to jump through? Do they require the 3 page application to participate in sidewalk sales?
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Post by northsider on Oct 18, 2014 15:03:18 GMT -6
A three page application.....that's ludicrous !!!!!!! I could see one page, maybe two tops but three pages is just ridiculously extreme.
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Post by cmon on Oct 18, 2014 15:30:08 GMT -6
"You solve problems how you want to and I'll solve problems how I want to ". How's your way working Kyle.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 18, 2014 16:09:48 GMT -6
A three page application.....that's ludicrous !!!!!!! I could see one page, maybe two tops but three pages is just ridiculously extreme. Three pages to fill out would be nothing compared to going through a Special Use Permit process, in my opinion. However feel free to shorten the application for Streator, that'd be fine with me.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 18, 2014 16:10:17 GMT -6
"You solve problems how you want to and I'll solve problems how I want to ". How's your way working Kyle. I think it has been a little slow because we have such a closed minded Mayor. I think with more people talking about the problems there seems to be some change happening and I think that more will be coming. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Streator.
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Post by northsider on Oct 18, 2014 16:18:11 GMT -6
Where does it say a special use permit is required?
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Post by cmon on Oct 18, 2014 16:25:47 GMT -6
Close minded mayor in your humble opinion.
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Post by Anonymous on Oct 19, 2014 9:49:44 GMT -6
Close minded mayor in your humble opinion. Yep! And there we are again at the root of all of it...Aquaponics.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 19, 2014 11:40:55 GMT -6
Close minded mayor in your humble opinion. Yep! And there we are again at the root of all of it...Aquaponics. What are you talking about? Aquaponics may be what convinced me that they are vindictive and unwilling to work with people who speak out about what they want for our community, but it certainly is not the root of anything, just a result of their problem. Before Aquaponics there was being publicly declared illegal and being stopped from having an event in City Park because the subject was cleaning up Streator and its image. Prior to that, other than asking that they put more resources towards economic development, it was only me asking that they address the problems centered around the bars that hurts other businesses in my opinion. Since I was respectful in my requests, it is very clear to me that at the root of it all is the bar violence and other over-serving associated problems and our City leaders' unwillingness to address these problems.
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 19, 2014 11:58:19 GMT -6
Yep! And there we are again at the root of all of it...Aquaponics. I THINK we have a BINGO! Aquaponics was not really a bad idea, it's really a good concept. Kyle really should have gone through proper channels and done a proper pitch to the proper people, maybe educating them a little about what it actually is. I really think handled correctly maybe the city leaders might have gotten just as excited about it as Kyle was and seen a totally different synergy. I mean, I GET it Kyle. I don't blame you for being disappointed. You went to the 'man' and he shot you down and you felt like it was pointless to continue. I REALLY wish you had harnessed some of your dogged determination to seeing your project through properly instead of just complaining. You might have gotten the results you wanted in the first place. Too bad the Mayor didn't offer me the "proper channels" to go through. He is the "man" when other perspective businesses come to Streator as well, that is what has me convinced that we need a different "man" in Streator, one who won't give out a requirement that doesn't follow our laws.
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Post by dog on Oct 19, 2014 14:18:43 GMT -6
I THINK we have a BINGO! Aquaponics was not really a bad idea, it's really a good concept. Kyle really should have gone through proper channels and done a proper pitch to the proper people, maybe educating them a little about what it actually is. I really think handled correctly maybe the city leaders might have gotten just as excited about it as Kyle was and seen a totally different synergy. I mean, I GET it Kyle. I don't blame you for being disappointed. You went to the 'man' and he shot you down and you felt like it was pointless to continue. I REALLY wish you had harnessed some of your dogged determination to seeing your project through properly instead of just complaining. You might have gotten the results you wanted in the first place. Too bad the Mayor didn't offer me the "proper channels" to go through. He is the "man" when other perspective businesses come to Streator as well, that is what has me convinced that we need a different "man" in Streator, one who won't give out a requirement that doesn't follow our laws. Even if the mayor didn't give you a so called proper channel, he did give you a path to pursue. Wouldn't you think it would be reasonable to say that once you got in front of the authorities, that maybe one of them or you, yourself, might have come up with the suggestion that maybe just a special use permit might be the best avenue?
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Post by Kyle Mitchell on Oct 19, 2014 14:41:27 GMT -6
Too bad the Mayor didn't offer me the "proper channels" to go through. He is the "man" when other perspective businesses come to Streator as well, that is what has me convinced that we need a different "man" in Streator, one who won't give out a requirement that doesn't follow our laws. Even if the mayor didn't give you a so called proper channel, he did give you a path to pursue. Wouldn't you think it would be reasonable to say that once you got in front of the authorities, that maybe one of them or you, yourself, might have come up with the suggestion that maybe just a special use permit might be the best avenue? It takes the owner of the property to follow the Mayor's course of action of applying for zoning change to industrial. Since it is such a ridiculous thing to even ask for and the Mayor indicated that approval would be a "fight/battle", the owner did not want to pursue it. Setting the requirement to such an extreme as to the Mayor not even being able to provide a justification in our laws, in hopes that people will attempt to obtain approval of the extreme requirement so that a more appropriate requirement might eventually be reached doesn't really work too well, in my opinion. Maybe it would be better to just be more open minded and give a requirement supported by our laws in the first place; maybe we would have more business that way. Maybe new, more open minded leaders would be a great improvement for our community.
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Post by greekgod on Oct 19, 2014 17:51:22 GMT -6
Kyle just can't understand why NOBODY agrees with him. After all, it seem to me he believes, 1. EVERBODY has to answer all his questions. 2. ALL City Officials should explain their decisions to HIM, to HIS complete satisfaction before he is denied ANYTHING. He has rights you know. 3. If any decision the Council makes that benefits Kyle wishes will of course benefit all of Streator, all of it's citizens, and do nothing but bring on a vibrant downtown district, and a thriving economy. 4. Oh, and the Majestic Theater would still be open. Sure it would. Bottom line Kyle, I believe Streator is better off without you, and certainly this blog. Streator would have been much better off without all your non-constructive criticism. Those of us you left behind, WILL continue to participate in "Clean Up Streator" campaigns, "Light Up Streator" campaigns, participate in local service organizations, donate to the Local Food Pantries, Ring the Salvation Army Bells at local businesses, donate time and money to help our fellow citizens should a natural disaster, or personal disaster occur. Streatorites will continue to vote, not only for their own interest, but for the best interest of the community as a whole. Somehow Kyle, I believe you are so full of yourself you believe the only way Streator could thrive is when we all agree with you. Oh, and starts with the Mayor, all Council Members, the Downtown Business Association, to all Forum Members. Yes Kyle, you have the same "Constitutional Rights" as every other citizen. Yes Kyle, you have the same right to express your opinion as does every other Forum Member, but we have the right not to answer your question. Good Luck in your new enterprise. Hopefully, you will find the success you deserve, that you seem to feel you failed to achieve in our wonderful community of Streator. g
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