I’m not the only one who gets a vacation. The City Council Monday night voted 6 – 2 to vacate fourth street in front of Denfeld.
I don’t follow the City Council very closely but because Dr. Dixon scheduled a school board meeting at the same time (a coincidence?) someone had to stick it out in the Council Chambers to raise some questions before the vote. I got to the Chamber at about 5:20 missing the first twenty minutes of a Committee of the Whole discussion on the Red Plan that Councilor Stauber chaired. I arrived during the prattling of a Move Forward Duluth spokesman who explained how great the Red Plan was going to be.
Evidently before this there was a curious change in the messages telegraphed to the councilors by city staff. They seem to be suggesting that everything about the Red Plan wasn’t necessarily so hunky dory. Interesting.
In my two minute spiel I warned the Council that no one could be sure based on the multiple plans for Ordean just what the Denfeld site would look like and that because the School Board hadn’t even bothered to approve any plans for the school vacating the streets was premature. Jim Stauber pointed out that in other similar transactions it was usual that people doing business with the City had to sign agreements to protect the City before it gave something away……..Remember the City’s agreement with St. Mary’s over that parking lot?
Oh, that reminds me of a funny story I heard about Faribault’s City Council and Dr. Dixon.
