Saturday, November 14, 2009

VC: Inauguration Night, Monday! (11/16)

{--Oh Happy Day! A pic from our trip to DC to the Obama inauguration--Frank, me and 2 million of our closest friends...

Dear People: Well, things happen pretty fast 'round these parts: the newly elected/re-elected Mayor and Council members will be sworn in on Monday evening and then we'll have a normal but fairly light meeting. Enjoy the weather this glorious weekend!

Monday's AGENDA!

1) Administering oath of office to new/re-elected Council.
2) Election of President, Vice Pres.
3) Announcements, Review Minutes, Review Agenda and Communications.
4) PUBLIC HEARING/LEGISLATION: Supplemental Appropriations: This is a repeat of our actions in October, due to a small snafu down at the village offices (due to the illness of Deborah, our Clerk), with regard to publishing the findings within a week after passage.

NOTE: We are working on hiring for Deborah's position right now, however. (If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please look at the job description / application process as posted on the village website. ) See under OLD BUSINESS for more on this topic

5) OLD BUSINESS: Several big things here:
  • Economic Sustainability Coordinator: Update /Economic Sustainability Board. Mark will be announcing the new Coordinator that we've hired and we'll also be discussing, and possibly voting on the Economic Sustainability Board proposed by Judith some time ago.
  • Evaluation Process (for Village Mgr) Discussion: We have to evaluate Mark every year, and he's been here about a year already! We have several sample evaluation forms available in our packets for us to examine and select from. I will be looking at them carefully. We are considering moving our evaluation date for him to the Summer time, further away from election. (Since the brand new Council member(s) will not be as able to provide feedback that is fully meaningful having just
  • Announcement/Discussion: Clerk of Council and Treasurer positions. We are definitely hiring to replace our retiring Clerk of Council, Deborah Benning. Deborah had also served as Treasurer, which is a more complex role to fill. We will be discussing what to do about this issue on Monday evening.
  • OPENINGS! We need YOU to serve on: Environmental Commission, Human Rights Commissions, and Energy Task Force. We have applicants for some slots, but I know that the EC still has two open slots, now that EC member Rick Walkey has been voted onto Council. We'll get an update as to the exact state of membership on these official committees of Council. Consider serving!
  • HRC Website update: Having met with HRC members and with Bruce Cornett, Village Mgr. Mark tells us we have a few possible options, one of which would give the HRC lots of flexibility, and us a little less control, another of which would reduce their flexibility of use, but give the Village a great deal of control. We need to decide what our policy with regard to the website should be.
6) NEW BUSINESS:
  • Appointment of Council Reps to Commissions, Committees, Task Forces and Boards.
  • Health Care Insurance Renewal for village employees. Mark recommends renewing our current plans for medical and dental. The medical plan premium costs will increase by 6.87%, which is below what many places are finding, and the dental plan will increase by 8.94%, but this is actually below what we were paying in 2008.
We'll then have reports from Commissions and Committees, Agenda Planning, and, so far as I can see, no executive session.

Peace, and a poem--

O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman

O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;

Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;

Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.


Amen, brothers and sisters.

L.

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