Small Town Character
There's so much going on in the world (and Fillmore) that it's difficult to pick what to write about sometimes. There's a lot of issues out there...
I've heard two stories in the last week that cause me to question what is going on at City Hall.
First, I heard that the Historical Society has been rehabilitating their building. I don't know all of the details but I can just imagine that these folks spent hours or their time and money and energy on this project. It has to be a labor of love. Evidently they've been told that they did not pull permits for putting in a toilet or sink. Now they may have to pay an $11,000 sewer hookup fee for their one little toilet. Is there anyone at the City who was aware of this restoration? Did they stop in and say anything? Did they consider a variance or conditional use permit for a non profit?
If anyone has knowledge of this project and I don't have the entire story, please tell us what is going on?
Secondly, my husband is a Lion. They give a lot to the community. Again; time, energy, money. All for the benefit of the schools, the seniors and the city. They really work hard. They were going to hold a "spring rummage sale" at the new parking lot across from the Veterans Memorial and individuals could rent a booth for $25 to display and sell their goods. The City is requiring each booth to provide a sales permit at $25 each. So the Lions won't be able to make any money from the sale. Plus, filling out the permits requires a lot of personal information. Too much work for a rummage sale.
One more...my husband will do anything for a veteran. His dad was a proud veteran. We found it quite sad that they would have to pay $400 to rent the Veterans Memorial building to host a dinner for the local Vets - on Memorial Day. They held it at the scout house instead.
Is this the atmosphere we want for our city? Where civic organizations are put through so many hoops that the effort is not worth it? Is this a consequence of having city staff that live elsewhere? Does this help build a community?
posted by Gayle Washburn @ 6:28 AM
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3 Comments:
Gayle ever think that any government cannot afford to discriminate or provide favoritism to any one group, this is unethical, thus the laws and regulations were created so that no one group can have an avantage over another. There are hundreds of groups all desiring a "break" which ones do we provide favor to and which ones do we not? remember the city is not profiting from any of the "fees" there are only adhering to the statutes that are already in place from our founders. Like it or not it is what it is and you simply need to deal with it and make allowances for it when planning an event.
Gayle,
In case you weren't aware, code enforcement in any city is a vital factor in keeping a community both civil and industrialized. What kind of city would Fillmore be today if our "out of town" city employees allowed for "exceptions to the rules" on every project that "love built"? In case you haven't noticed, illegal dwellings exist all over town. I hardly doubt that anyone at city hall has the time to watch over the Historical Society and remind them that they need a city permit to install a toilet. Also, were you implying that Fillmore's city government should play favoritism with the Historical Society and the Lions Club?
What happened to Fillmore several years ago when that non-profit exotic animal organization came to town? The city loaned them lots of money to set up shop on Central Ave next to the old Texaco station. From what I understand, there was no "big city" red-tape to stop them. After all, in a small town like Fillmore we should show compassion to all non-profit organizations and make a deal by shaking hands right? Gayle, this would be a good blog opportunity for you to bag on how insincere our "out of town" city government operated at the time, not to mention the costs to the city.
The Lions Club rummage sale sounded like a worthy cause but if $25 is too much for a sales permit, then why not allow the Lions club to have their rummage sale illegally in your neighborhood for free? Are you not the homeowners association president? I'm sure you can pull some strings to make this happen right?
Lastly, if you can come up with a way to utilize a public facility and not be responsible for the cost of electricity, water, trash and other city services then please let me know. I'm not in any way saying that our local Vet's should not be honored - I am saying that we SHOULD honor our local veteran heroes at any cost. Even $400.
It's: Ready, aim, fire!
not the other way around.
Perhaps you should get a few more facts before posting your comments pointing to city hall defects.
It looks like you want to be part of the problem instead of the solution?
Expert Shooter
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