As a take off on a popular television show, I must ask, is the City of Henderson as smart as a ninth grader?
Ninth graders all learn how to plan and complete a project. First, you make sure you know what the requirements are. Next, you divide up the work and set a time line for deadlines. Third, you offer no excuses for poor performance, and finally you judge your own work before you turn it in. Ninth graders know that coming up with something is better than doing nothing and that getting your work checked all along is the best way to come out with an acceptable, satisfactory project completed in a timely manner.
When I presented my questions to the city concerning their application for grant money to build a performance hall, the information included the legal requirement (if the city did not already know) that as an inherent part of applying for a grant, the city had to respond to written complaints in a written format in a timely manner. The city also has to provide sufficient information so that interested citizens can understand the application by the time of the second hearing. So, the city should be aware of the requirements.
Now, how to plan to fulfill these requirements? If the city had divided up the questions and decided to answer four per day they could have answered them all in two weeks. A ninth grader would have chosen a better way, though, and that would have been to divide the questions into categories. Some questions had to have already been answered long before the decision was even made to apply for money for a performance hall. The Project Area Committee, the City Council’s own Community Development Committee, or the city Community Development Committee that is made up of citizens should have the answers to many of the questions in their minutes. Likewise, the finance office of the city should have the answers to the questions concerning the Local Government Commission requirements, ownership of property, contracts, and finances going forward. The City Clerk should have many answers from meetings and the City Attorney should have legal answers on issues such as the City Charter. So, if you divided the questions this way, the city could have provided the answers within one week’s time. A five minute conference call each morning to collaborate would have been a fail-safe that all was proceeding on target. Any ninth grader knows to go to the best source of information and delegate work accordingly. This way they do not waste time discovering what someone else already knows; otherwise, a projects stalls and time, energy, and effort is wasted.
Ninth graders definitely know better than to offer lame excuses for non-performance. Ninth graders would not say that they did not have enough time or resources. For instance, Mr. Wyatt saying that Erris Dunston has too much on her plate is very probably true, but he put it there. She may be in charge of technology but the city also pays NCOL for this job. She may be in charge of this grant, but the city also pays Kathy Powell for this same work. She may need a consultant to write this grant, but poor planning on the part of the city does not excuse them from following the law or allowing the public access to their own business. Blaming a staff person would be like a ninth grader saying his mama would not take him to the library so he could do his project. Unacceptable!
Ask any ninth grader and they will tell you that turning in something is better than nothing. Effort and striving always count. Mr. Wyatt stated in the paper that he has written me to inform me that the answers will only be available on August 11. I have not received this letter. Providing answers at the very last minute to the very serious questions I asked, is dirty dealing and we all know it. This is the city’s way of stacking the cards against anyone who wants information and is trying to uncover discrepancies or debate any facts at a public hearing.
The city should come clean and lay all their cards on the table. Any ninth grader can tell you being honest and forthright is always the best hand to play.
Elissa Yount
Henderson