Planned Rebuild of McCoy Park (Now being Ignored).
I attended the Monday, April 13 City Council meeting just to watch some of the most impressive verbal acrobatics ever seen outside a circus tent.
On one side there was your next mayor of Columbus, Council President Shannon Hardin, but the other side?
Pretty much everyone else.
Questions are a Sign of Intelligence.
Hardin kept asking questions of city staff concerning the planned destruction of McCoy Park for a new women’s soccer training facility. Unfortunately, the city employees kept answering his questions.
And all of the questions were points that you’d assume Hardin had already discussed before single-handedy negotiating a sweetheart deal with Haslam. Nope.
He has easily forgotten recording a video for Facebook bragging about how he had finished a breakthrough negotiating session with the Haslam Group and made a deal that would be the best for Columbus.
Logical question: Would you trust Hardin to negotiate for anything on your behalf? Honestly, I can never see myself asking him to do that. Remy and Bankston? That duo I can see at a table asking important questions and demanding answers. Hardin is most interested in doing the least amount of work for the greatest amount of glory and attention.
Pretending to Be an Actor.
It was a parody as he kept having to act surprised after every question; the problem being is that he isn’t a very good actor. It was obvious that he had no grasp of what the members of the community had already invested in time and effort.
- Yes, the area commissioners spent years working with the city to get funding and design a plan.
- Yes, they were ready to begin until Haslam Group came in and cancelled everything (and prayed that you’d never notice).
- Yes, former Mayor Coleman was hired to pressure members of City Council to approve the deal negotiated by Hardin.
What’s the Bottom Line?
A handful of members of City Council are beginning to ask questions which they were not supposed to ask.
All of this should have already been passed and construction should have begun (the city has already torn down the McCoy Park sign; no, I’m not kidding). Instead, community members showed up with the detailed plans already approved by the city to rebuild McCoy Park. I wish this wasn’t government fan fiction, but it drives other people (and myself) crazy to see how badly members of City Hall waste their time.
Time is Priceless, Unless You’re City Council.
Instead of building different committees with clear goals and deadlines they just keep doing everything like their Junior High School student government might have done it.
- Secret communication and information kept in “silos” where you have to know the right person or ask the right question to learn something.
- Zero overall objectives or priorities. There is no written strategy for what City Council wants to achieve (what’s most important vs. what is least important).
Remember that Council President would run the entire city the same way he is running City Council. You are witnessing his “leadership style” in action at McCoy Park. Do you like how he is leading so far?
Personally, I’ve experienced a lot of this having worked in higher education. Of course, there are exceptions. Leaders who are kind enough to listen and ask questions… before making a decision. They exist, there just aren’t a lot of them around in Columbus.
Expect More from the Mayor and City Council.
That’s not intended to be a joke. They need more people asking questions and being tough enough to demand an answer.
I dare you to start paying attention and reaching out with questions. At the end of the day some members of City Council appear to have forgotten that they work for us.
https://freepress.org/article/billionaire-vs-columbus-democracy
https://freepress.org/article/it-s-not-your-park-give-away-billionaire
https://freepress.org/article/junior-high-millions-dollars
…And Just in Case You Forgot? Columbus Already has a Women’s Soccer Team!