City embarrassed by perception of accountability

Talk about it

To the Editor,

From last week’s News-Chronicle, page 1 (top): In the context of an article about a public input session of the Lake Superior Binational Forum focused on water resource protection, “[Mayor] Glaser said balancing the economic need for development with natural resource protection was the most important issue in her city.”

And from last week’s News-Chronicle, page 1 (bottom): In an article about a planning commissioner’s letter to the Pollution Control Agency about issues with a development on Burlington Bay, “‘This makes the city look not very user friendly toward development’, [city attorney] Overom said”.

Too bad the mayor couldn’t have required the attorney to attend the development vs. water protection forum. But the mayor herself is “demanding” commissioner Todd Ronning’s resignation over the (mistaken) idea he claimed to represent the commission in his letter.

Where to begin? A city attorney should get the facts straight before advising the council. A mayor should balance a (mis)perceived error in judgment with the good a commissioner is doing to maintain the development/protection balance she claims to champion.

And even if the commissioner had inadvertently appeared to be representing the commission, what is so embarrassing to the mayor about the city appearing to hold a developer accountable for possible violations of a construction stormwater permit? Especially when it involves the quality of Lake Superior’s water--the city’s drinking water source and so much more!

Fran Kaliher

Two Harbors

Tags: twoharborscitycouncil, robinglaser, toddronning, development, mpca