APOLOGIES FOR THE INADVERTENT INITIAL SENDING OF THIS UPDATE.
At this point, I do NOT know what to say.
The resumption of tonight's BOA meeting... you know, the one that was rescheduled because one of the BOA panel members had to be recused in the last BOA meeting due to a perceived conflict of interest?... has now been rescheduled, yet again, to next Wednesday (11/15). If you were not physically present at tonight's meeting you might be asking yourself, what the heck? Well, feel comforted in knowing that even those of us who were in the room asked ourselves that very same question.
So... Here goes... my attempt to summarize the events of tonight:
1) The meeting was due to start at 7PM and I am sitting down counting BOA panel members thinking... I only see (4) members. The very same number of members which caused the cancellation of the initial 10/18 BOA meeting due to (1) of the then-present (5) BOA panel member being recused due to an apparent conflict of interest with the applicant.
2) Approximately 7:10PM into the meeting we were informed that the BOA panel was attempting to make contact with the missing 5th member (Note: with the original member recusal there seemingly are no more alternate members available). Apparently, no luck on making contact with this member. LET ME BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR ON THIS: I honestly hope that nothing serious occurred that prevented this member from being present tonight. Again, let me be abundantly clear on that!
3) Approximately 7:15PM into the meeting the BOA Chair asked the applicant's team if they would be willing to proceed with the existing (4) BOA members OR, alternatively, wait an additional (15) minutes to see if the missing BOA member might show up, in the event they were simply running late. If not, the applicant's team stated that they would like to reschedule tonight's rescheduled meeting.
4) In the end, the missing BOA member did not show up whereby the BOA Chair asked the applicant's team (and only the applicant's team) if they could support reconvening next Wednesday (11/15) when another BOA member could be available. REALLY! What about those of us on the other side of this Special Use Permit request made by the applicant? Is this new date convenient for all of us, even those of us in opposition? You all know the answer. Well... at this point enough was enough and we (those of us in attendance) made it abundantly clear that we should have an equal say on any newly determined reschedule date. Can you guess where our request went? Here's the short answer. NOWHERE. Any upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and travel / family commitments? SEEMINGLY NOT THEIR PROBLEM as, per the BOA process... the applicant is due to hear this matter in a timely manner. AND WE (THOSE OF US IN OPPOSITION TO THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION REQUEST) PREVENTED THAT HOW?
I am tired and frustrated (like so many of you who continue to support this effort). I am going to think about this for a bit, as I hope you all will, and will try to figure out a way to convince as many people as I can... that money and that this "quasi-judicial process" should not be grounds to take advantage of those with far less means but have a more than legitimate counter argument to what is being requested by an applicant.
More to come.
Matt