05/10/2024
Hi everyone,
Dave here. Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who came to the Council meeting on Tuesday.
I also wanted to clear up some miscommunication on our part and take responsibility for a muddled message. Tuesday was not a vote. It was a closed-session discussion which, in the past, meant that a vote was imminent. That, combined with the fact that we have two new Alders, is why I felt like public turnout was important here. That is why we asked people to come out and we are confident that the message was conveyed and received. So again, thank you!
Where are we now, then? The Farm will eventually come up on the Council's agenda again, this time for a vote. What direction the vote will take, and when the vote will be, remains to be seen. There may be more closed sessions between now and then, or there may not. We will all just have to keep our ears to the ground and wait to see how this pans out, for now.
If the City continues to take the development route, we could see a vote on whether or not to accept a Developer’s Agreement and sign a contract. We'd obviously hope that such a vote would fail. The Council could also put forward a measure to reject the developer proposal and explore alternatives. If that were to occur, we would of course be in favor.
There has been a lot of chatter about whether the City can legally back out at this point. The answer is yes, the City can back out. Alder Reid asked that exact question in open Council on April 1st and the City Attorney affirmed that this was possible. All they have decided at this point is that they want to pursue negotiations with the developer. They have not awarded a contract.
Finally, I think it would be good for all of us to have some grace with the new Council. The two brand-new Alders have 12+ months of background info to catch up on. Don't forget that only two people on the current Council voted in favor of razing the Farm (Alder Motiff and Mayor Hammer). We need to be firm, but also fair. That’s not to admonish anyone, it’s simply to highlight that we’ve entered a different phase in the fight to save the Farm. We still love that our supporters bring passion to the table!
In closing, thanks again to everyone who has taken time out of their day to talk with their Alders, comment in favor of saving the Farm, or appear at a meeting. We truly do appreciate it. We feel positive about the way forward. Hopefully, everyone’s efforts will bear fruit – sooner rather than later. Until then, see you at the Odd Food Truck Fest on Saturday!
