Although RenewLV hosts periodic brown-bag forums on topics of local concern, I've yet to make it to even one of them. Unless I have babysitting duties, and I never know that until the last minute, I'll be there this Friday for a discussion of municipal finance, especially as it impacts on older communities. You're supposed to bring your own lunch, plus a few cookies for me. Here are the details:Who: Gerald Cross, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Central Division
What: Informal brown-bag forum, free and open to the public, to discuss Pennsylvania’s current system of municipal finance and the major structural challenges that this system poses for older core communities, especially cities and boroughs. Session will include brief presentation followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion.
When: Friday, August 27, 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 1:15 p.m.
Where: Sigal Museum [New home of the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society], 342 Northampton St, Easton, PA.
Note: The session will be held in the 2nd Floor Conference Room at the museum. Upon checking in at the admissions desk, you will be directed upstairs. Metered street parking is available throughout Easton. A public parking garage is located on 27 South Third St.
15 comments:
You want to know the agenda of Renew Lehigh Valley without having to sit through boring bullshit sessions?
Simple, tax re-distribution. The townships will give tax to the cities. There, you now have the agenda and goal of Renew Lehigh Valley in terms of "Municipal Finance".
Wasn't that easy!
Who's Renew LV and why should we care?
Yours,
Average Citizen
Average Citizen,
RenewLV is nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working on initiatives aimed at promoting regional collaboration and revitalization of older core communities in the Lehigh Valley. If you are an average citizen living in the Lehigh Valley, presumably you have some interest in how this region continues to grow over the next several years. Our work is directly related to this -- examining how the region has been growing and working toward more coordinated, more sustainable growth. The way a region grows has a direct impact on how your taxpayer money is used (either efficiently or inefficiently), as well as whether a region is able to compete in a global economy.
Unfortunately, I cannot make you care about your community, nor can I make you care about your taxes. But I hope that you, Average Citizen, somewhat care about how your tax money is spent in the short- and long-term, and I hope you care about your community somewhat.
Oh, and I can promise you that the session won't be boring. At the very least, come check out the newly-opened Sigal Museum.
- Beata Bujalska, RenewLV
www.renewlv.org
I'm confused...don't the counties already have a regional plan?
Average Citizen has a point. Just seems like yet another group of random people conducting meetings just for the sake of meeting.
I wish people got together more often to discuss these things. You don't have to go. I'll try to be there bc I have some kind of goofy affinity for municipal finance.
Beata and Steve have staked out positions on a number of issues, but really enjoy the discussion. I think they make government better.
That's really nice, Bernie! Thanks for the support.
And, yes, there is a regional plan, but it is purely advisory. Meaning, individual municipalities, under the current Municipal Planning Code, are not required to follow it. This is where community education comes into play. Hope to see you all on the 27th!
- Beata
No thanks necessary. I respect both you and Steve, even though I am suspicious of your funding sources. I believe you both want to make the LV a better place and government just a little better. From time to time, we may disagree about how best to do that, but you've welcomed people with diverse views, even Ron Angle. Keep up the good work. I might have babysitting duties Friday and am told I'm on standby, but if not, I'll be there to annoy all of you. Jon Geeting said he's going, and I thought naybe he and I could mud wrestle or something.
I work till noon but the ride from Allentown to Easton will not let me get there till after 12:30...
I suspect the latest proposal out of Harrisburg, HB2431 - the idea to eliminate local government and consolidate it at the county level, will be discussed.
Ross over at NOC has some good comments on that.
I would suggest that if saving money was really the issue then supporting candidates that are fiscally responsible with the taxpayer's dollars should the main priority.
You know...... its a good topic, but, having it in center City Easton and having to jockey for a paid parking spot is simply enough to keep me from going. Have it at a suburban municipal building with easy and convenient parking. My time is too valuable to have to search for and pay for parking. Signed.... local government official.
You can tell Renew LV is run by out of towners. Bliss and Bujalska have spent a collective 15 minutes in the Lehigh Valley, and it shows when they are out doing their advocacy. Their understanding of Pennsylvania government, its rules, regulations just isn't there.
That erodes credibility right there. I appreciate the concept of RenewLV, but they hired the wrong boots on the ground to get the point across.
I heard that the draft regionalization study for water did not include LCA as one of the players but the final report did. I also heard that LCA in part funded the study. Renewlv preaches smart growth but wasn’t it LCA who oversold its capacity that lead to explosive and irresponsible growth in Lehigh County? The study is irrelevant because it started with a conclusion and found a way to get there. What capacity does LCA provide on its own and what capacity does it get from other providers?
In the State, planning commissions are the driving force behind investment. The best I can tell, Renewlv board meetings are not advertised and are closed door sessions. They seem more like a lobbying group for political interests given non-profit status.
The conversation Rep. Yudichak was trying to start can easily be debated in the Lehigh Valley. RenewLV is a resource in the Valley and I think that residents here need to do a better job at capitalizing on such. We can sit aorun and type all day on computers about how we feel, but nothing is going to happen unless there is some way to moderate these conversations. Thank you Renew for helping the state of Pennsylvania and us average citizens who care about moving this state forward. There are way to many municipalities and maybe WE can all save money if we investigate better approaches. We.re all in this togehter.
Anonymous 9:52 PM said...
...Thank you Renew for helping the state of Pennsylvania and us average citizens who care about moving this state forward. There are way to many municipalities and maybe WE can all save money if we investigate better approaches. We.re all in this togehter.
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See, this is the problem. The words "moving this state forward" show you have a belief in what direction that "forward" is. Losing local control and familiarity is not what everyone would call forward. And I'm observing that those who think it is are beyond discussing that and are just looking to see how they can best accomplish this "forward" goal.
At least that's what I'm seeing IMHO.
Are their board meetings closed door? If so, who are they representing. BOH raised a question about funding sources.
I do know RENEWLV based in Bethlehem was a back door obstacle to widening the busiest section of Route 22 as a diversion for Rail. The improvements were much in line with the investrment made near Route 378 and ongoing widening of Route 412. This delay set the Valley back while funding priorites went elsewhere. How is that representing the intersts of the tens of thousands of Valley residents that rely on Route 22 to get to work.
A congested and hazardous Route 22 between our Core Communities only gives more incentive to wipe away more open space in Center Valley.
Will a fortune 200 company relocate near the Route 22 corridor or will it be Center Valley?
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