Reorganization, Vestiges, & Towers

City Council Meeting of July 5, 2011

Monday night's meeting began with some mundane discussion and finished with a fight over a cell tower.

During the 2011 budget process the City Council removed two positions from the Community & Economic Development Department (CED), one director position and one senior (non-management) position.  Following that decision, CED reorganized to give two remaining employees the management responsibility once held by the director who was removed from the organization.  The Council codified this otherwise temporary organization as it saved the department money and improved efficiency.  Just housekeeping.

The Civil Service Commission was designed to protect employees in the workplace.  After the development of union's collective bargaining rights, the Civil Service Commission stopped seeing action.  Without a single member currently appointed and having not been active in over 10years, the City's Human Resources Director proposed a plan to eliminate this vestigial commission over time.  The Council found a way to protect the rights of all employees (union or otherwise) while cleaning up our process.  More housekeeping.  

The 7th Ward and a piece of City owned property was being courted by T-Mobile for a new cell tower.  (See the "A" marked on the map below for the precise location)  A few months ago the residents of Crestwood, Prairie, and Rose opposed the construction of a cell tower on the Meyer Material site.  I heard their message and gathered the support of my colleagues to oppose construction of the cell tower.  In much the same way, I supported Alderman Wilson when he looked for the same result in his 7th Ward.  The cell tower was defeated 5(against)-3.