Welcome to our first post on Inside Oil City, a place on the Web where I will share my thoughts as a long-time resident and member of Oil City Council and where I hope to hear from you.
Oftentimes we will be serious, sometimes not. Life is too short to be serious all the time.
We will try to have a new post at least twice weekly, often on a subject ripped from the local headlines.
My intent is to let you know about issues that come before city council and why I take the position I do and my thoughts on broader subjects. My hope is to foster discussion about all things Oil City and Venango County in a positive and informative manner. We don’t have to agree on everything, and we won’t, but we do need to keep our discourse civil.
Unfortunately, in Venango County it seems we have lost the ability to disagree agreeably. Worse, we seem to think in terms of us versus them – whoever the us and the them are at the moment– on nearly every subject. Our politics is too often personal and too often divisive.
I guess that will serve as my opening comment to start off the discussions.
What do you think?
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20 comments:
Well, maybe this will serve as a wakeup call for people.
All we do is sue.
Anonymous,
I have to agree with your comment about the number of lawsuits relating to local government action, notably at the county level.
I can't believe that government by litigation is good government.
Let's hear from some more folks and what they have to say.
JNB
This is a great place for intelligent thought and discussion. However after learning about the antics of Ed Sharp at the 3-10-08 city council meeting, I must admit agree our politics leave a lot to be desired here. We have a new style of leadership now...one emphasizing the value of all of our citizens all their input. Solutions will come from the people and action will be taken by a city council with a vision of what can be instead of what is or what was. One person can no longer roll up his sleeves and meet all the opportunities we have to excell. Perhaps someone should inform Ed Sharp he's not the mayor of Oil City anymore. His input would be more welcomed at city council meetings if he did not make such a sorry spectacle of himself.
I like this. A great place for intelligent thought and discussion.
On the Mark,
I was absent from council's Monday meeting (work called), so I'm not in a good position to comment.
I do hope everyone who addresses council does so respectfully. Still, every citizen does have the right to raise an issue, but civility is the way to go.
JNB
Perhaps an apology is in order.
I'm still sorting through how to handle comments and at what point to intervene and edit.
Perhaps I should have toned down the most from OnTheMark.
I don't want things to be personal, and yet it is necessary at times to comment on individuals and what they say or do.
So, maybe some of you have thoughts on how comments should be handled? I will make it clear that this will not be an anything goes forum. I like civility and thought.
JNB-
I think OnTheMark *is* on the mark and should not be censored.
Oil City will benefit from some plain speaking.
Government by litigation is not good government, but why do people sue the county?
I have taken the liberty of significantly editing and paraphrasing the comments from a poster known as The OilCityOutsider.
OilCityOutsider was respectful and I believe only intended to make people aware and clarify a situation that occurred at last Monday’s Council meeting and noted in OnTheMark’s comment.
OilCityOutsider spelled out in some detail a rumor he said was circulating and apparently the point of questions by former Mayor Ed Sharp.
I’m choosing not to publish the details because it is just a rumor. OilCityOutsider said he could not say whether or not it is true. I don’t know the truth of the matter.
I believe that posting the details would only give it credence, which would be a great disservice to everyone if it is totally false or even if the situation resulted from something being misconstrued and/or a misunderstanding of intentions.
However, I also worry about putting up something as cryptic as this for fear it launches more rumors, wild speculation and accusations.
I do not want this blog to degenerate into a round of accusations and allegations. I don’t believe that is what OilCityOutsider wants either.
In the future I will handle comments like the one from OnTheMark a bit differently.
Let us talk issues, not people or personalities.
So now here are the heavily edited and much truncated comments of OilCityOutsider.
Hi John,
I just wanted to comment on Ed Shapr’s “antics” at the Monday night council session. Just to clarify, Mr. Sharp was referring to a rumor relating to the recent resignation of a member of the Oil City Redevelopment Authority and the role an elected official.
I’m not suggesting this rumor is true, I’m only stating observations that I have made. I just wanted to shed some light on what Ed was referring to.
Why were there so many lawsuits in Venango County? Good question!
It appears that previous elected officials listened but refused to act on information brought before them on the park, the Astronomical Society lease, the swindle, the reasessments and several other issues. What other recourse did the citizens have?
If the facts were not warranted, does anyone believe that the citizens would spend their money twice (after all it is also taxpayer money that defends the county) to pursue these issues?
Aren't the park and the reassessment office being returned to the county? Will the Astronomical Society get its new lease and continue to be a county asset?
If it were not for the lawsuits and citizen groups, would these things be happening?
It seems the us versus them was the taxpayer versus those spending taxpayer money.
Hopefully the newly elected officials will end the us versus them and realize that we are all in this battle to survive together.
Concerned,
I still believe issues are better settled at the ballot box.
And in fairness, as much as I have disagreed with various elected officials at times (even disliked a few), I don't think any set out to harm the community or taxpayers. I'm not sure it is fair to paint it as taxpayers versus those spending the taxpayers money. Suffice it to say there were and are groups and people who have different opinions about things.
I do have to agree wholeheartedly with your comment that we are all in this together.
JNB
You have heard it before, and you will probably hear it again.
We need the "Tourist", built it they wil come.
How much in parking meter revenue did Oil City lose in making room for a train station for a train that never came?
Now, the talk is on the river /creek tourist attraction.
Let's take a look at these tourist. If they arrive in the recreation vehicles they will want to know, "Where can we park this for a few hours?"
If, after a few hours, they like what they see and ask, "Where can we park for the night? Or week end?
What if they arrive without an RV and one of the group has an alergy against cigareet smoke and the smell of stale beer, and they ask "Where is a good sit down restaurant?" Where are you going to send them? Oil City needs a good family sit down restaurant in the down town with out the smell of smoke and booze.
As for the river utilization program, has any body considered the access to the river via the underpass at the bottom of Willow Steet in Siverly?
I have more, but this is a start.
Have a nice day.
So much for discussion. Let's try a different approach.
Has any on Council contacted the railroad about the use or none use of the East End storage tracks?
With some work, this could become another access to the river.
While talking to them, ask about the possibility of moving Colbert Avenue down on to the railroad right of way. This would eliminate some of the curves, allow direct access to the Industrial Park, with normal traffic routed back to the original Colbert Avenue at Oak Grove Street.
Maybe a little advertising would open your Blog for discussions.
Have a nice day.
JNB- What's up with the OC Whitewater Rec Park? I can't find any recent info on it. I'm a big closet supporter of it & would come out to help move it along.
Anonymous,
The Oil City Whitewater Recreation Park Committee is working away on issues of access to our waterways, increased recreational use and the possiblity of a whitewater park.
It is also planning for an Aug 9 Paddle-In to Oil City, a community event centered in Justus Park.
The committee meets the third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. at the Oil City Library, and everyone is welcomed to attend.
More info can be found at ocwhitewater.com or by emailing ocwhitewater@oilcity.org.
JNB
Why waste money on an overlook for the drug trade?
Why not use that same money to re align Spring Street?
Create a left turn lane for traffic going up Harriet Avenue and a left turn on to Sycomore Street at the other end.
To many times, I have seen emergency vehicles tied up on Spring Street. And then see so much wasted space in front of the Overlook Apartments.
Another idea I had but rejected due to winter road conditions was to reverse traffic flow on Harriet Avenue between Spring and Pearl.
Have a nice day.
Anonymous:
I must say your thoughts about traffic are intriguing. I don’t know if I’ve ever noticed a traffic problem on Spring.
As for the money for the overlook, the vast majority of it is not from the city and would not be available to do a traffic redesign and/or street repairs. I personally feel the overlook fits in nicely with our downtown rehab and other development programs that are breathing new life into our downtown. It is a long so process, but we have to keep plugging away.
JNB
To experience the Spring Street tie up you have to be there shortly before school dismissal when the school busses are going up Spring Street and turning left on to Harriet Avenue and again after school dismissle when the teachers, the students, and the busses are making their way down.
At times traffic is backed up onto Colbert Aveneue almost to Washington Avenue.
This same bottle neck exist at times as shift changes take place at the Industrial Park, and when a train goes thru town.
If people sitting in traffic waiting to turn left on to Harriet Avenue would realize, at times, it is faster to go around using Stout and Graff Streets, which would eliminate a one stop sign.
Have a nice day.
Well, John, it looks like we aren't stirring up many discussions, we could meet over coffee and have the same conversations.
One last parting shot .. I always believed in "There is no such thing asd a free lunch", and for years it irked me that Quaker State would not allow parking meters in front of their place, now we have 3 parking places in front of OC&T with NO meters.
Let's make sure when they finish with the down town beuatification that those meters get installed, it is the same size spaces as in front of Citizens Bank on State Street.
Have a nice day.
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