OK, I'll have to address this topic in more detail tomorrow or the next day. I promise now that my Facebook issues have been resolved I'll have more time to write. [;)].
More questions and concerns have been raised around Sheila Hill-Christian's appointment to the Greater Richmond Transit Commission's ("GRTC") Board of Directors. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported yesterday that Ms. Christian Hill is a paid consultant on an economic development study being conducted for the City. [ASIDE: Why do we always hire consultants from outside the region to conduct these studies?] This relationship was not disclosed to City Council during the GRTC Board review and appointment process.
Why should we care? GRTC will be selling its current bus barn location in the Fan District sometime soon. The GRTC Board will have a substantial influence on that parcel's subsequent development, depending on who they decide to sell to. Ms. Hill-Christian has been involved with Mayor Jones' administration, which would like to see the bus barn property transferred to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Administration ("RRHA"), which would then control any development. I think many Fan residents, myself included, think that's a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea. I'm especially concerned that Mike Rohde, the previous GRTC Board Chair and a tireless advocate for the Fan, was not reappointed to his post.
Here are some of my pressing questions:
- Why would City Council appoint three (3) NEW members to the GRTC Board? Retained institutional knowledge should have been of critical importance with these significant issues on the table.
- Charles Samuels, the council person for the 2nd District, which includes the bus barn property, objected to the new GRTC appointments. Why didn't the Council support his objections? Isn't that typically standard operating procedure, to defer to the council person whose district is impacted?
- Why wasn't everyone proposed for appointment to the GRTC Board interviewed? That seems particularly concerning.
Fan, Museum District, Boulevard, Carytown residents: Keep a watchful eye on this. I don't mean to be all cloak-and-dagger here, but there already seems to be some questionable dealing going on. The City is NOT a real estate developer. It should stay that way.
Ooopsy daisy. My bad. I should have double-checked. MLS
Posted by: Melissa Loughridge Savenko | October 21, 2009 at 05:45 PM
Clarification - I agree with everything you said except the Council rep is Marty Jewell. Samuels' district ends just a few blocks shy but the decision either way will have him interested for sure.
Posted by: Sean | October 20, 2009 at 08:41 PM