Friday, April 17, 2009

Jaws drop as Messer, Coffey execute simultaneous 180-degree flip-flops, killing Wendy's ... for now?

Here's the ordinance:

Z-09-05 Ordinance Amending the Code of Ordinances of New Albany, Indiana, Title XV, Chapter 156, (Docket P-02-09; Fairway Developers d/b/a The Charleston’s LLC, by Gary McCartin)

The battle lines seemed drawn those many weeks ago when the first reading resulted in a 5-4 vote against the plan commission's affirmative recommendation.

For: Caesar, Benedetti, Zurschmiede and Coffey
Against: Price, McLaughlin, Gahan, Gonder and Messer

Then came the quasi-epochal (sorry, D), Gahan-inspired call for 2nd and 3rd readings with the developers' attorney and Messer both absent. These resulted in 4-4 washes, and it was over ... but it wasn't over, with council attorney Robison determing that there could be no stake through the heart without a clear, non-draw.

Which brings us to tonight, and the neighborhood again in attendance. With Wi-Fi not available, I noted that something about the attitude made me uneasy, like a trick was about to be played. I shrugged it off and awaited the expected 5-4 vote against the Wendy's, and that's exactly what we got, except that when it came time for Messer to vote, he launched into full explanation mode and flipped to "aye."

A gasp rose from the crowd, but it wasn't over. Coffey, who'd voted three times in favor, now offered his own explanations before joining Messer in the act of flipping, though opposite, becoming a "nay," and the ordinance was defeated.

I'll leave it at that, adding only that one explanation offered for Messer's change in voting heart was his certainty that Coffey would always vote differently out of spite owing to animus between the two, thus assuring that Messer could serve whatever political purpose necessary for the flip while knowing that the council president would kill the proposal just to be contrarian.

I don't buy it, but for the residents of the neighborhood, who've now viewed something like a dozen votes in two years, it doesn't matter.

In most other ways last evening, the council sought to serve notice that its struggles over turf with the England administration will surely manage to handicap the city for months to come. A high point for me was Price's suggestion that the UEA staff person is paid too much not to be the man in charge of a merged UEA and DNA, with the implication being that Mike Ladd's salary comes from city coffers.

Seeing as Price spent a year as council representative to the UEA, and actually attended roughly half the meetings, he might have known that the city does not pay Ladd's salary -- unless the information was hidden in grandma's cookie jar, which Price is strictly forbidden from invading.

I'm tired.

9 comments:

  1. To quote lloyd dobbins: "And so it goes."

    Maury

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  2. What were Coffey's reasons for changing his vote? Was this the first salvo in the "Coffey for Mayor" campaign?

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  3. Mr. Coffey actually gave some credit to Randy Smith for his change of vote. It was most definitely a night of surprises.

    The next thing will be Mr. Coffey quoting me, except that I'm not allowed to speak.

    You know, it kind of hurts to be more disliked than Randy.(VBG)

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  4. Part deux is posted, in which I struggle for clarity amid a turbulent sea of cynicism.

    Or something like that. Let the debate begin, if anyone still cares.

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  5. I'll put it here in the backwater posts, but I'm thinking of taking off my "uniform" and founding Citizens Against Safe Neighborhoods to stop this hasty plan to revert the streets to two-way, pedestrian-friendly traffic patterns.

    I like being less hated than IAH!

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  8. A high point for me was Price's suggestion that the UEA staff person is paid too much not to be the man in charge of a merged UEA and DNA, with the implication being that Mike Ladd's salary comes from city coffers.Can someone share how DNA came up in discussion?

    As an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization which selects its own board, it is not clear to me why DNA’s merger with any entity would be a topic of discussion at a city council meeting.

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  9. Obviously you haven't experienced free association, Price-style.

    It came up during the course of the council rejecting the use of 75 grand of EDIT to potentially be used for economic development, and the council's desire to have line item control over every penny.

    Confused? Ask Ward "Kz" Churchill.

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