I have three areas of concern regarding Councilman Pitts proposal.
First, I have prepared comments in a virtual vacuum. Something as important as a proposal changing the City of Georgetown’s Historic and Architecture Review Commission and following a process outside of the City of Georgetown’s City Council UDC review process (i.e. the UDC Advisory Committee), requires more context than a 3-sentence description 4 business days before the City Council meeting.
Second, the proposal is not logical:
– HARC is trained on the UDC that governs COA’s
– P&Z and the City Council are currently not trained and already have a full agenda
– P&Z is a recommending body meaning that all recommendations come to City Council TWICE before they can be approved adding time for the applicant and distracting City Council from the business of the City. HARC has decision authority.
– HARC decision appeals are limited 2-3 in the last 4-5 years including the one heard earlier this evening which is further evidence why these decisions should not be routinely assigned to the City Council.
– The citizens across Georgetown value HARC.
Third, I want to speak of the optics of this proposal. I grew up in Toledo, Ohio and my mother was co-owner of a sign factory. My brother and I worked summers at the factory – a steal top building that would reach 100+ degrees inside. We were acutely aware that we needed to work harder than the others to avoid or limit the perception of nepotism. I am NOT suggesting wrong doing or impropriety on anyone’s part. I am suggesting that it is natural for lines to blur when relationships exist and I wonder if that is not, at least, somewhat at play. While not a conflict of interest and within the rights outlined by the former and currently proposed ethic committee, the relationship between the developers and members of the City Council are documented in campaign financial disclosures and by casual observation around our growing but still relatively small town. Again, its not a problem to have friends but the responsibility falls back to elected officials to manage those perceptions and monitor any unintended bias’. While you are evaluating the Ethics Committee and guidelines and this proposal, I respectfully suggest the council looks back at the oath you swore to uphold – to represent the interests of the citizenry.
We, Georgetown, are bigger than 1 person or a few people. And, we are better for it.
Please deny this proposal.