City Council Includes "Friday Packet" in Posted Agenda for First Time

In a step forward in government transparency for the City of Rye, the city has included the "Friday Packet" in the posted agenda for the city council meeting for the first time (see the agenda and "Friday Packet" for this Wednesday's meeting, June 10, 2009).

The "Friday Packet" is so named because the Rye city clerk assembles various supporting material to each city council meeting agenda item, makes copies (this week it is 57 pages, but it can be much longer) and the Rye police department actually drives the "Friday Packet" to the homes of each of the council members. Maybe this practice will stop since the city, now is the 21st century, can use email (welcome!).

This news also means all of you can now see the "Friday Packet" along with the agenda. We'll always carry it here on MyRye.com and the city also posts these same items (they do not post our color commentary). Citizens used to have to either go to City Hall to view the current "Friday Packet" tomb or attend the council meetings, where the item is placed unceremoniously in the back of the council room.

We see this as a terrific step forward and welcome the change.

Comments

[Be afraid of Morison, be very afraid]

I heard that Suzy Morison is running for Rye City Council in part because of the manner in which Shew was fired. She must have been one of the people crying at the March 17, 2009 lynching of Shew.

In addition to being thrilled that Shew was finally fired, I was kind of happy he was there for it because people actually got to see what the guy looked like that night and who it was that Otis had given $58,000 in raises to in only four years.

Perhaps Suzy just wants to have another free party at the Rye Golf Club paid for by Rye taxpayers.

[Fed Up]

Napoleon was exiled to two islands, Elba which he escaped from and - after Waterloo - Saint Helena, which he did not escape from. The City of Rye has jurisdiction over several offshore islands; one in particular I understand holds the dubious distinction of home to Westchester County’s last working outhouse. Would a short exile of certain Rye City council members to this pristine natural environment benefit them and the rest of us who use the Sound regularly?

[Otis is getting desperate but is still a loser]

I was definitely not referring to the height of Otis. I was referring to what little political capital Otis has now and how little political capital Napoleon had when the end finally came for him.

It appears to me that you may have misinterpreted my intent. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

[Concerned]

Otis is getting desperate? And this mud-slinger isn't? The letter writer might have convinced some readers to agree with him about recent Rye City events if he had presented an intelligent, coherent argument. But his hate filled ranting may well drive writers to support Otis.One may assume that the writer is at least six feet tall and has a personal prejudice against successful men who are shorter than he is.

[Otis is getting desperate but is still a loser]

I also welcome this step by Rye into the "20th century". Unfortunately, the abuses committed by Otis and the Rye City Council in violating Open Meeting Laws and FOIA Laws continue and will always be a part of their resumes.

Otis and the City Council will probably blame Shew for why they were so slow coming into the "20th century". This simply is not true because they were very frequently given the opportunity to address and correct violations of law committed by their underlings as well as the numerous transparency and open government violations and refused to do so. With no oversight, they empowered Shew to escalate the frequency and the seriousness of his violations. They are just as guilty as Shew and probably even more so because they were in position to correct it and chose to ignore the violations while allowing the violations of law to continue. Their acts are inexcusable and their penance should be to not run for public office again or the residents will do it for them and vote them all out of office. They deserve nothing less.

This appears to me to be a very desperate attempt by a man with very little political capital to garner votes in November. If anything, this shows this little man has been negligent, reckless and not moving Rye forward the last twelve years.

Otis brought Shew here and allowed this no show, Massachusetts residing, do nothing clown to stay for five years while increasing his salary from $140,000 to $200,000 in only four years. Everyone in the world knew about Shew's checkered employee history and Otis still brought him here. Why? We all know why and for this alone Otis needs to get voted out of office.

I predict November will end for this little man just like Waterloo ended for another little man. A loser and in exile.

Hopefully whoever beats the little man will really bring Rye into the 21st century.