GOOD MORNING FLINT!
11/05/04
By Terry Bankert a Flint Divorce lawyer.
YOUR HEARD IT HERE FIRST!
THE WALLING ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO HIRE A "MASTER PLANNER"to create a Flint Master Plan.
THE CITY OF FLINT ADMINISTRATION IS NOW COMMITTED TO THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS
The Walling Administration will work with the 68th District Court to CAUSE THE HIRING OF A MAGISTRATE to work closely with the City and the Code enforcement officers to Fight Blight in the City of Flint by Code Enforcement.
THE CITY OF FLINT ADMINISTRATION NOW HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY TOWARD BLIGHTED PROPERTY THAT VIOLATES THE FLINT CITY CODE.
Flint City Adminstrator Greg Eason speaking on behalf of Flint Mayor Dayne Walling made these two significant policy statements at the Genesee County Land Bank 11/05/09 program at Flint Sarvis Conference Center titled "Strengthening our Community in the face of Population Decline."
The Land Bank Program had over 100 people in attendance and was covered by a Cable TV Channel 17 producer and a Japanese television crew.
Flint City Clerk Inez Brown gave an insightful historical perspective on the evolution of Flint.
Brown stated" we are an Urban laboratory"... If we can turn Flint around the world will be watching. We must put aside the negative and move this City forward.
Anthony Turner Of the US Depasrtment of Commerce spoke about Flint population decline.
Turner Stated generally, Flint Population: 1960 was 196.940, 1980 was 160,00, 1990 was 140,000, 2000 was 125,000 and in 2008 is estimated at 128,000. The median income in Flint is $28,000, County wide $43,000, nationally $52,000. He stressed the importance of every one being counted in the census as a missed person will cost Flint $12,000 in lost Federal revenues of the next 10 years.
Weiland Stated: Flint has lost the equilavent of 34,000 households.
In Flint there are currently 12,000 vacant lots, 6000 vacant houses.
Using these figures 32% of the property in Flint is abandoned.3,600 of these properties are owned by the Land bank another 1100 will become theirs within a year.
We have to reduce the supply of abandoned property.
It costs $7000 on average to demolish a house. The programs downtown have brought us leverage monies which have been used to tear down abandoned buildings.
Douglas K. Weiland Executive Director of the Genesee Land Bank spoke on Land Patterns, Key Challenges, Interventions.
Gregory Eason City Of Flint City Administrator and Barbara Griffith-Wilson, Advocate of the Community spoke about Perspectives and action Steps.
Eason made the two announcement stated above and stressed the need for forward thinking in Flint.
He praised Mayor Walling for being the right Mayor for Flint.
Griffith Wilson gave great testimony to the success of the clean ups in her neighborhood and its community gardening program.
R. Matthews talked about Mayor Walling Community out reach programs inviting everyone to attend.
There were a half dozen break out groups some reported their groups recommended, a city master plan be created.
This master planmning process must incorporat the plans of all institutions, government and business downtown Flint and City Wide.
A foot patrol is needed, public saftey is important, and people want to become involved. There is an under reported wave of enthusiasim for Flint and its future ,the community wants to become involved in this effort.
Many shared the view that education is so important that you cannot separate the revitalization of the Flint School System from the revitalization of Flint itself. The City must concern its self with public saftey and the physical revitalization of our land homes and buildings, but the school system must step up and reviatalize our human potential through a quality education system.
Posted here By
Terry Bankert
A Flint Family Law Attorney.
http://www.flintfamilylaw/
Thursday, November 5, 2009
WALLING TO HAVE A MASTER PLANNER, AND MAGISTRATE FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT
Monday, November 2, 2009
Informed Articulate Citizens needed, not a new Charter
There is discussion that the Flint City Charter should be changed piecemeal.
I think that is a mistake.
We have an excellent City Charter that has been bastardized:
1. City Council terms moved from 2 to 4 years,
2. City Administrator not a seasoned Municipal Administrator,
3. Litte to no attendion paid to the ordinanaces in the public interest, the standard of conduct board does not meet,
4. The City and its deparments are not required to make its promulgated rules and procedures current and the office of Ombudsman is underfunded and quiet.
5. We have no master planning process
6. City Council should have as the Charter allows an in house Auditor. Possibly they do not because then they would be accountable.
We the People voted in a Strong Mayor, and I add Strong Council , with a myrid of Checks and Balances ,promulgated rules and procedures, ordinances in the public interest, a standard of conduct board and the office of Ombudsman.
Essentially we wanted to limit the power of Mayor and Council through the adoption of the 1974 Charter.
But here is the rub, you, me, the Citizens of this City dropped the ball.
We did not demand that the Charter be followed.
I say, lets pick that ball back up and score some points...for good government.
Here how!
Ask then demand that the current charter be followed .
While we are advocating to the Mayor and City Council to follow the Charter we as Citizens begin to monitor the Charter and from an informed perspective critique it, discuss modification, leaving it alone or advocate its whosale change through Charter revision.
Detroit is electing a Charter revision Commission Tuesday, its utter chaos in Detroit.
The responsibility falls to you and me.
A charter is just a couple of pieces of paper unless the good people of Flint decide to breath life into it.
Terry Bankert 11/2/09
http://www.flintfamilylaw.com/
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Saturday, October 31, 2009
25% of Flint Kids choose Charter Schools. Why?
25% Flint Kids choose Charter Schools, why?
Look to the twitter or Flint Talk for the Blog Post 10/31/09
If you have Family Law questions please see,
www.flintfamilylaw.com