Mayor Shelley Stanczyk is right!

by SDM

A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth – some obvious truth he isn’t supposed to say.*

*Michael Kinsley, (April 23, 1988), Commentary: The gaffer speaks; The Times of London.

For those of you who have followed the moratorium issue on this blog, you may recall a post titled Palmetto Bay: Lindsay Exercising “Brain Control”. In that brilliant essay, SDM wondered:

Will Palmetto Bay residents and voters wake up from the Lindsay spell and start asking questions, such as, what precisely will the NPC do? Or, will we find that the real schmucks are those who – without any evidence – claim to know what Councilwoman Lindsay is planning.

Then, in a carefully constructed speech (SDM comments in parentheses), Mayor Stanczyk stumbled into agreement with SDM:

(1:48:09) I want to make it very clear that number one this process started out at Committee of the Whole meeting where it was brought up and discussed at length. (See Who’s afraid of Bert J. Harris? which explains exactly what Councilwoman Lindsay discussed at this meeting: a list of goals only with no specific provisions of the Neighborhood Preservation and Compatibility ordinance.)

We have sought the input. We haven’t however sought the misinformation. We have sought to correct the misinformation. The document was online. We have a completely transparent process where our agenda is published a week before the meeting. (See PB Village Council: Ode to Judy Collins, which notes the last minute substitute item placed on the agenda that corrected a bunch of “misinformation.”)

The document was very clear although the information that was sent out on many different avenues held a lot of misinformation. Information was shared not from the original document, not from a council member, not from staff, but was shared among themselves. (New imperial edict: DO NOT SHARE INFORMATION AMONG YOURSELVES.)

It’s a lot like playing telephone. (The Mayor goes on to explain the children’s game called telephone. Something about Eugene hating somebody.)

(1:50:25) That’s what we did. We all played telephone. (Tendrich later joked that this could get you in trouble with the sunshine law, but never mentioned the clandestine Cutler Cove conclave.)

So, we’re here. We’re open for contact. We’re open to discuss items. You have our email address on the websites. You have our phone numbers. You know how to reach city hall with the telephone. (She actually said this, SDM swears.)

So I encourage you to do that. But there has been public hearing. There has been public comment. There has been input and there will be more. Just as Mr. Kowlessar just asked. He asked if there would be an opportunity for the public to comment. (1:50:52) Well, I would suggest that first we need a document that we comment on. That’s really the most constructive way to go. (Yes! Yes! Release yourself from the brain control! Come to the light, come to the light!)

(Right at this moment, if you watch the tape carefully, you can see the Mayor realizes she inadvertently spoke the truth. She stammers a little then closes.) And I think that comment, that comment will be very welcome and it will be constructive and if there’s something that needs to be, that can be used, and is, is credible uhhh…addition to the document I’m sure that it’s going to be there. Because that’s the history we’ve had. Now, I’m sure others have something to say as well.

SDM salutes you Mayor Stanczyk for finally agreeing that the people of Palmetto Bay – your humble serfs – need a copy of the NPC to review. As a wise woman once said, “that’s really be the most constructive way to go.”

Where and with whom the NPC is located, unfortunately, remains a closely guarded secret, as Councilwoman Fiore learned:

Fiore: (1:47:30) We’ve had no public workshops on this. I can only assume (looking to the village attorney) Mme. Attorney that Councilwoman Lindsay is writing this ordinance in conjunction with your office. Is that correct?

Boutsis: I will be meeting with Ms. Lindsay. (SDM snarky comment: For what purpose, to get your marching orders? Otherwise, excellent non-answer.)

Sometimes a few unguarded words tell the whole story, right Mme. Mayor?

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