Flint City Council Responsibility!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
01/31/2010

RESPONSIBILITY.

Just who is responsible for Flints Budget?

The Ward 9 Council person said at the last special council meeting that the council is not responsible for making mid term budget cuts that is the Mayors job.

The Ward nine council person then chastised the Flint Journal reporter present 3 times for saying effectively that the council was facing hard decisions with the projected budget short fall.

So just what is the council responsible for?

Now I do not want to offend the delicate sensitivities of a couple of council members.

But just who is responsible for making sure, on behalf of the taxpayers, that Flint has a balanced budget?

What accountability exists?

Whenever you hear the council say they are not responsible they mean they do not want to be accountable.

Flint is facing a budget shortfall, what is the councils role?
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/01/city_of_flint_looking_at_proje.html

Lets avoid the head in the sand approach the council took in the Stanley Administration.

The mayor presides over the officials responsible for the day to day work of the city .

The Mayor is assisted by a City Administrator.

The Flint City Council is a legislative body.

It can introduce and pass legislation proposed by the Mayor.

The council has the authority and responsibility to audit the city books.

These two branches of municipal government are meant to be a check on each other.

Not to just point fingers but to cause accountability.

How can the council protect us. Not by pointing fingers and saying its not our fault.

The Flint City Charter 3-205 to 3-207 grants the City Council substantial powers of investigation.

The Council may ,as group or committee, look into the conduct of the City’s Executive branch.

This is an important check on the use of power by the Mayor.

The City Council is RESPONSIBLE for auditing the City financial records at least annually.3-404 to3-405 Flint City Charter. So who is responsible for the city budget.

The Mayor or the Council?

They both are. So if there is a projected budget shortfall the Flint City Council does have hard decisions to make.

The drafting of the budget is the Mayors responsibility.

This budget is presented to council on or before the first Monday in April for its examination and adoption before July 1st of every year.

Flint City Charter 7-104. A. At any time during the fiscal year, upon written request of the Mayor, the City Council may consider amendments to the previously adopted budget which (1) transfer an unencumbered appropriation balance from one program service or activity to another (2) provide for expenditure of revenues in excess of those in the budget or (3) meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace which may require emergency appropriations as provided by statute.”

The Mayor can always spend less than the budgeted amount.

The council may investigate him if he chooses not to reduce expenditures in the face of declining revenue.

Management of declining revenue then is the primary responsibility of the mayor and the council protecting the taxpayer may investigate and hold him accountable.

At all times the City must meet the solvency requirements of State Law.

So the council now does face tough choices.

Now that it has exercised its power to monitor city financing through its audit function and now has knowledge of a revenue short fall its role for us is to question the mayor on how solvency will be protected and to investigate and possibly hold hearings should he chose not to react.

It may be the mayors responsibility to spend the budget.

Its is the Flint City Councils responsibility to protect the taxpayers from insolvency.

The Flint City Council has some tough decisions to make.

Josh Freeman explains the audit. http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=52285#52285

Posted here by Terry Bankert

http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=52291#52291

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SOCIAL MEDIA EDUCATIONAL PROJECT INITAL PLANNING MEETING USING THE TOOLS OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

SOCIAL MEDIA EDUCATIONAL PROJECT PLANNED OR REJECTED.

http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/2010/01/social-media-educational-project-inital.html

In Flint MI USA at 10 am Eastern a planning meeting to discuss social media and ideas for a social media educational project.

THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AT 1000 BEACH ST., FLINT. YOU ARE INVITED PHYSICALLY OR DIGITALY.

On site participitants are asked to arrive at 9:45 am .

The location is 1000 Beach St. Flint MI 48503.

Those physically attending and those digitlly attending are invited to participate using the tools of social media.

I will post as this meeting is conducted to Flint Talk . You are invited to join in
Post to Face Book
http://www.facebook.com/attorneybankert
Post to Flint talk on the political thread " Good Morning Flint
'http://www.flinttalk.com/viewforum.php?f=2
My Blog Good Morning Flint.
Comment section at bottom
http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Email to terry@attorneybankert.com

During the meeting several lap tops will be up and running. Your digital comments will be integrated into the meeting.

You do not have to be present to participate and you can participate before or reasonably after the meeting. If this works the meeting will not end and a product of the meeting will not be finalized until after your comments are incorporated.

You are invited.

For those present there will be pizza at 11 am we will tell you who are not in attendance how good it was.

This is the opening statement I have prepared and I will referenced it at 10 am. But, this will be an informal meeting, a planning session and agenda setting.

10 am opening by Terry Bankert.

We are at an informational cross roads.

The communication industries are remodeling how they share information with us as we are changing our routines for collecting information. We all know that a significant number of people get most of their news on line.

As people share information with us social media occurs when we talk back to them online.

I you own a widget retail shop and use a widget web site where you post articles about your widgets to get search engines to bring widget seekers to you and these artices have a public comment section or your site has a chat room and complete strangers who may be your competition trash your widgets you are in social media. Welcome to the wild west of social media.

Social media occurs when we can talk back quickly and publicly with the digital sender of a message.

New people may responed to the widget article. They may be possibly trashing your widget, the people who posted or you personally.

Others may support your product. Some may make ;positive suggestions for change.

Is this sounding real uncomfortable?

You should engage directly in this process as a form of reputation management, transparency and accountability.

When its over you will learn of and from your clients. They will know more about your widgets, your company, and you. You might even sell some widgets.

You say how can I afford to do this with the reputational risk . I say you cannot afford not to . Become engaged in the social media process.

You want to be where your customers are, right. Well they are already there.

Traditionally we think of advertising of product, services, candidates and causes as a one way street. That is no longer true.

For example I will use newspapers, specifically The Flint Journal as an Example.

As a business owner, cause coordianator or political candidate you are on to somethjng you want to share.

For example.

Your store is selling a new widget.

Your store fixes widgets and has new technology to make it cheaper.

Your cause " Save the Widgets" has condcuted a study of the impact of widgets on the human species.

Your candidate or candidacy has a new platform " Stop widget production by over regulation and taxation"

How did we share this with the world.

paid advertising

send out letters and newspetters

press release

You would launch these vehicles and hope for the best. Not any more.

Today when the Flint Journal covers the story it is posted digitaly on MLIVE.

Sometimes because the Flint Journal does not publish every day this digital post can be up to a couple of days.

At the bottom of the story is a comment section.

Now if this is a story about your widget strangers could post comments possible negative ones.

The next reader will see the article and the posts.

These Post have now become part of the story.

Can you afford to ignore this if a large part of your target market will react to the story and comments together.

Later readers will see the story and comments and then respond to this new totality of the now evolving story about you widgets. Can you afford to ignore this?

Traditional media was one talking to the many. Social; media is the many talking to the many.

If you are concerned about your business ( product or service), cause or candidate my theory is you cannot affored to ignore social media.

Think of examples you know of the use of or the conversation about what is on social media.

Is there a need to educated about social media.

If no stop here and we will all go home.

If yes then should we the users conduct the education.

If no then who and lets go suggest it to them.

If yes then how should this be organized

What are your thoughts.
Post to Face Book
http://www.facebook.com/attorneybankert
Post to Flint talk on the political thread " Good Morning Flint'
http://www.flinttalk.com/viewforum.php?f=2
My Blog Good Morning Flint. Comment section at bottom
http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Email to terry@attorneybankert.com


Posted here by
Terry Bankert



The Social Media workshop planning committee met on Sat 01/23/2009. Seven people registered four attended. Several issues were decided.
1. A Host organization will be sought.
2.There will be a minimal registration fee to cover costs and to secure attendance. Donations will be sought. Any funds left over will be donated to charity.
3.The Educational vehicle will be a workshop on a Saturday.
4.The event shall take place in April.
5. The agenda will be an introduction, educational presentation of Basic techniques, lunch (sub sandwich) and afternoon with two break out programs 1. Business 2. Advocacy
6.Core Facilitating Committee Don Potter, Dave Broadworth, Terry Bankert ,Ed Hoort.

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WELCOME TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
01/22/2010
By Terry Bankert

I attended the College and Cultural Neighborhood Association (CCNA)meeting last night 01/21/2010.

It began at 7 PM in the Mott Community College Regional Technology Center Auditorium RTC 1005.

My 2010 new years pledge is to lose enough weight to be able to fit into the auditorium seats.

The CCNA is a non-profit with a mission of preserving and improving the College and Cultural Center Neighborhood.

This is done by raising awareness of political, governmental, social and environmental issues concerning our neighborhood and Flint Neighborhood groups. Our claimed turf is I-69 to Gilkey Creek, Longway to Dort Hwy.

That’s roughly the boundaries of the group I ran a billion years ago the East Village Legislature.

This began in conjunction with Flints best community magazine the East Village Magazine. All the Brain child of Gary Custer. But that’s another story.

I have taught community/neighbor hood organization. With Gary Bates about 10 years ago.( I would like to again!).

It is difficult to keep the communities attention to deliver a grass roots involvement product.

The President Sherry Hayden and the Vice - president Mike Keeler do a great job. My observation that a good grass root operation is really a dictatorship masquerading as a democracy. They do it well deliver a good product. It feels good to be there for 2 hrs a couple of times a year.

Last night Paul Streby read detailed minuets of the previous meeting. You get used to it and the listener gets a sense of continuity. Cindy Robinson gave the treasurers report.

State Representative Lee Gonzales talked about the alternative Battery success recently. Good Job Lee. He will make a great County Treasurer.

Flint City Councilperson Josh freeman was present. He bashed the Ombudsman position and once again called for its elimination by way of a ballot question. YAWN!

Douglas Wieland the Executive Director of the Genesee Land Bank spoke.
Notes.
-The 25,000,000 has to be spent I 3 years.
-The City of Flint is doing 2 demolitions a day
-Flint NIPP rehabs are setting vacant.
-nsp funds used to rehab have to be sold to qualified buyers who get a mortgage. Good luck there.
-The land bank owns 3200 and clears 9,000 lots.
-The land bank now has year round crews to clear property.
-25% of the vacant property in Flint belongs to the land bank.
-The land bank will begin to train neighborhood organizations.
-The city of flint had a population of 196,000 in 1960 and last year had 106,000.
-6,000 houses are in need of demolition at a cost of 7,000 each do the math.
-there are 10,000 vacant houses in Flint.
18,000 of 57,000 parcels in Flint are vacant that 33%
-The land bank owns less that 50% of the vacant property.

Flint 7th Ward Council Person Dale Weighill spoke.
Notes
- We are half way through the budget year and there will be a 5 - 7 million dollars budget deficit if the Council does not take action.
-the Mayor has not presented a plan and it should have been presented several months ago.
-there will be a mid year budget review a week from Sat.
-He said his mind is open to the elimination of the ombudsman’s office.
I suggested directly to my Flint City Council person Weighill that if they put the ombudsman on the ballot they should put up a question to the community asking if the council terms should be returned to 2 years. The original 1974 charter called for 2 years terms of the Flint City Council. The council changed it to 4 years terms. I think 2 year terms are a good idea it keeps the council accountable.

I predict things will begin to go badly between the council and the mayor after this meeting , budget review, if the mayor does not have a firm budget reduction plan. 7 Million dollars is a lot of money. The only way to do it is to scrape away a lot of misc. items then cut once again into police and fire. Here we go again.
　
SOCIAL MEDIA

I announced my plans to facilitate a workshop on Social Media and its application to business, community action and politics. My plan is for this to be free.

All were invited to the informal planning meeting this Saturday 10-noon 01/23/2010 at my law office 1000 Beach St., Flint MI.

Please arrive at 9:45. Meeting ends at noon though there may be some carry over discussion. I will provide water and pizza at 11:30. Bring pop or coffee if you desire.
　
MISC.

The Mott Community College Police are sworn police officers and Sheriffs deputies they patrol for one mile around the college. Their number is 762-0222
　
DATES from the CCNA hand out TO KEEP IN MIND.

Next CCNA meeting

March 18 2010 7-9 pm Mott RTC Room 1005

MAYOR WALLING Flint neighborhood Action Session Phase II schedule that interest me. There are other meetings. I hope this process and the effort Citizens have given is the real deal, it looks like it may be. But if in the end we think this was a lot of naive BS it will bite the mayor.

1-27-2010 Phase II Introduction at the Flint Public Library. 5:30 pm

02-10-2010 Downtown residents and business 5:30 Flint Public Library.

02-11-2010 Phase II NBH Action Session Ward 7 NOON? Brennan Community Center 1301 Pingee Flint 766-7238.

03-15-2010 Noon MCC RTC Rm 1301 762-5906

04-12-2010 City Wide work group 5:30 pm Brennan Com Center

4-24-2010 Phase II Conclusion meeting 9:30 Am Ballenger Field House MCC
Since the budget had already been submitted to council I wonder how our ideas can be implemented 2010 -2011?
　
CNNA is on face book and has a list serve ccnaflint-suscribe@yahoogroups.com

Posted here by Terry Bankert

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