On Wednesday night in Allentown, PA a group of citizens got together to protest the Allentown Mayor and City Councils' plan to privatize the water and sewer services in order to garner cash to help the public employee pensions shortfall. The City Council said they planned to introduce their final plan at the meeting but were not going to allow attendees to comment on the plan. Opponents of the plan called citizens to attend the meeting and when they found out they'd not be allowed to comment, one small business owner stood up to call out the council and let the other citizens know that they had every right to comment. The video follows . . .
This is the video of bar owner, Rich Fegley calling the city council out on making up rules as they go along.
Commentary was written in Morning Call writer Bill White's blog post explaining what happened.
Imagine my surprise when a friend emailed me late Wednesday night with a "Wish You Were There" message. Turns out a big crowd of opponents turned out for the meeting and was frustrated by council's rules, which blocked people from speaking about the issue.
In a classic Catch 22, they couldn't talk about it during courtesy of the floor because it was on the agenda and courtesy of the floor is reserved for non-agenda discussion. But when it came up on the agenda, they were blocked there, too, because the resolution and bill concerning the lease was just being introduced, not voted upon, and council traditionally doesn't discuss or allow public discussion of bills at that stage.
Brew Works owner Rich Fegley (seen above), the most outspoken of the critics, ended up leading a crowd of angry residents out of chambers."You guys are trying to stop the voice of the public," he shouted at council as a police officer approached him. "It should be taken off the agenda for the evening. You guys broke the rules."
My mother was in attendance and said that several experts showed up to comment but left when they were told it wouldn't be on the agenda. She was going to get up herself and comment but after Mr. Fegley called out the council, the group she arrived with got up and walked out of the meeting.
I have to say that Mr. Fegley's performance was excellent! He stayed on point and called for the council to read out loud where in the city charter said they could limit the subjects talked about. Except, they couldn't. An excerpt from the City of Allentown's Home Rule Charter, fresh off the City's website:
SECTION 213 CITIZENS' RIGHT TO BE HEARD
The Council must provide reasonable opportunity for interested citizens and taxpayers to address the Council on matters of general or special concern. Citizens' right to be heard shall be the first order of business at all public meetings and before a vote on any Council business. The public shall be granted the opportunity to comment at Council meetings without time limitations, except when the Council President, imposes a reasonable time limitation deemed necessary. Council members, by a vote of a majority plus one (1), may override the Council president's time limitation."
Here's a little more background on the situation.
Here is a slide show of the meeting protest.
Twitter posts of the meeting in progress.
In the end, it looks like a non-profit group may get the contract if it isn't stopped by referendum or pulled by the council. What the core issue is though has nothing to do with water, but the same issue that faces the entire country. Jobs. Jobs that produce income, that grows the economy and fills county and city coffers to be able to provide services and pensions for the public and private employees of the state. The creation of a vibrant economy cures all the evils that plague this once great City of Allentown, Pa.