An ad hoc citizen advisory group called Advantage Watertown met the other day to chat about pending issues facing the City and hear a briefing on the effects of next year's reconstruction on Factory Street.
The group meets once a month and includes a variety of people from different governments and industries with an emphasis on downtown.
However, over time many people, including some on City Council, openly wonder what the purpose of the group is, other than it was established as part of a state program years ago relating to waterfront development.
Council members have talked about eliminating or altering the group's role after concerns that Advantage is deciding on issues that Council should be.
Since I serve on the body, I benefit from the discourse, but Council members without the day to day contact at City Hall have come to view Advantage Watertown with some wariness.
Meanwhile some Advantage members have also openly asked just what is the point of the monthly chit chats.
Since the groups meetings get covered as real news, there is some chafing when lawmakers read about something they didn't have previous knowledge of.
The idea of dialogue among interested people with varied expertise is always a good thing, Whether this format is best is increasingly being debated behind the scenes.
Advantage Watertown Discusses Proposed Factory Street Renovations
2 comments:
Almost like the JCIDA,JCJDC,WLDC, all the organizations the well-heeled and well connected are asked to belong to. lmost like the business mag the WDT publishes listing up and comers in govt jobs.
I don't recall voting for or against any of them.
I guess that is the democrat way...put the power into the hands of people that don't answer to voters.
These are usually populated by the type of a-holes that force business such as the doggie doo to move out of the city because some tree-hugger member decided signs are ugly and vacant buildings are pretty.
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