Comments on: CSD Annexation Blog: Annexing All Proposed Areas Will Create Space and Money Challenges

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:32:43 +0000

Seems like the focus is always on CSD. What about consideration of the impact on other city services, such as fire, police, engineering,recreation, and sanitation????

By: Thomas in CSD

Thomas in CSD — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:31:53 +0000

http://decaturannexation.blogspot.com/

1802 page views
14 comments

Hope you decide to participate.

By: Sharron

Sharron — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:58:11 +0000

Have any comments gotten through the moderator?

By: Primadonna momma

Primadonna momma — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:41:42 +0000

Oh, grazie! Definitely not me.

By: At Home in Decatur

At Home in Decatur — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:29:19 +0000

I love your screen name. I can’t stand it that I didn’t think of it first. But does “prima donna” refer to you or to your offspring? I love it either way.

By: Primadonna momma

Primadonna momma — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:22:35 +0000

Again, well said Moderate.
Re. the CSD attempt at blogging, it’s too bad they are so worried about anonymous comments. DM and other blogs prove that you can have a thoughtful, honest and respectful conversation about the issues without using your name. There are many legitimate reasons why parents might want to voice their concerns anonymously.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:28:34 +0000

The one other thing I’ve been meaning to say about this, I think it may be incorrect to assume that the City Manager’s appearance at these surrounding neighborhood events is evidence that the city wants to annex these neighborhoods. It seems like they are just trying to be responsive and help the neighbors consolidate the facts on annexation before making a decision either way.

From a fiscal POV, pure residential annexation is not a good idea for the COD, so the burden of proof is already on the pro-annexation folks to make the case why its fiscally feasible for the city.

By: Moderate

Moderate — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:17:16 +0000

I agree that the city leaders should be given the benefity of the doubt, and I am willing to hear more information before I make my conclusions. I live here because the city leaders are responsive and seem to “think the way I do.”

That being said, the city leaders have done a poor job explaining the benefits of annexation. The “goals of annexation” on the original power point were very vague and aspirational. In contrast, the cost of annexation are very specific and real. The negatives are filling the vacuum. Moreover, some of the annexation parcels don’t seem a good fit, but instead of the city leaders acting as a gatekeeper and saying “thanks for your inquiry, but sorry”, they seem to be trying to shoehorn some parcels into annexation that do not meet the city’s own stated criteria. This hurts the credibility of the annexation effort and makes people question whether there are unstated motives at work. “Responding to interest” is not a goal of annexation. It is a phone call.

I understand why people are asking questions, and I don’t think it is cynical or suspicious to do so. It is a consequence of a inconsistent communications by the city leaders.

I will keep my mind open and hope for a more complete presentation.