Normandy Oaks Dialogue: 2007

If the November ballot is to include a referendum about selling Normandy Oaks, the ballot should also include a proposed 4-year millage which will generate an amount equivalent to what would be realized if the golf course were sold. Voters will then have the choice of --

-- not selling Normandy Oaks . . .  and approving a tax increase
-- selling Normandy Oaks . . .  and rejecting the tax increase

The text above appears near the end of my report out of CITCOM's budget-focused work-study session on Saturday 03 February.

A look back
From the 1983-84 "Financial Picture"
"What has been done to cut costs?
"25% of full time positions have been eliminated over the past four yeas (115 jobs). Departments have been combined to reduce administrative costs. Work has been contracted out -- for example, refuse collection, saving about $700,000 per year and janitorial services, saving about $80,000 annually."

Barbara Hallman was mayor. Commissioners were Ken Culling, Phil Natke, Pat Paruch, Dave Richards, Linda Shadrick, Robert Stocker.

It's going to be a long, drawn-out debate
Try as it might, the City Commission has found it impossible to convince the green space lovers that the sale or not of Normandy Oaks Golf Course is not the only issue in budget deliberations. Already, in large and and small personal and civic gatherings, one hears the guesses: (a) the green space lovers will overwhelmingly vote not to sell, or (b) the golfers and green space lovers are a militant but small constituency.

I'll use this page to report developments and to publish ongoing comments -- of others and mine.. -- FJV

Commissioner Miller keeps all options open
At least one city commissioner is willing to insist that the elected body is derelict if it refuses to consider selling "city assets" as one of the options for turning Royal Oaks's financial situation around. Those who hope that selling Normandy Oaks is permanently off the table are sure to be disappointed.

And, we can expect Miller to attempt to overcome reluctance to really study the DDA/City financial relationships, rather than to accept the Administration's strong opposition to doing more than taking a one-sided cursory look at those relationships.

Ideally, budget discussions should start now and continue in almost every CITCOM meeting for many months-- on the condition that there are time limits. For each meeting,  set aside 21 minutes for budget discussion, with no individual speaking more than 3 minutes until everyone else has had their turn. Over several months, that will provide plenty of time for reasoned examination of good and bad ideas. Mayor Ellison will need to pound the gavel quite a bit until the long-winded learn to control themselves!

A non-binding, advisory referendum is useless.
Let me begin by questioning the wisdom of putting anything on the ballot which has no power. By declaring the proposed vote non-binding, CITCOM implies that our elected officials may choose to override the voters' choice.

Question: If CITCOM already has the courage to override voters' preferences, why not declare its decision without waiting for a vote of the people? Certainly, by the time the budget-work is done -- come May or June -- our elected officials will know what should be done and, logically, shouldn't be unwisely swayed by the emotionalism of the debate. -- FJV: 10 Feb 07

Golf course sale delay costs Royal Oak dearly
That's the headline on an editorial which concludes: "Royal Oak's elected officials should act with authority on this issue and sell Normandy Oaks." The paragraph preceding this conclusion: "Putting this issue on the ballot will costs tens of thousands of dollars. Because the proposal is nonbinding, the decision still resides with the City Commission. That's a waste of time and money." -- Detroit News: 12 Feb 07

Andrzejak drops Normandy Oaks sale connection to police staffing
Commissioner Mike Andrzejak has decided to force the issue of police staffing onto the agenda of the full city commission and the administration, by divorcing police staffing from the sale of the golf course. Citing increased crime in Royal Oak, the commissioner has decided action is needed sooner than would be possible while awaiting a decision about Normandy Oaks. -- from Daily Tribune: 13 Feb 07

Normandy Oaks won't go away
Focusing on City Hall's management, or mismanagement, of Royal Oak's two golf courses, one thread in the online forum www.MichiganSoundOff.com has something to say about Normandy Oaks. The title of the thread is "Managing Golf Courses for Dummies." There are also threads dealing with commission meetings and the like. The Royal Oak section of the site is managed by Ryan Shelby, a Royal Oak resident who was recently appointed as one of five members of the Charter Review Committee. -- 21 Feb 07

Available on or from this page

Sell Normandy Oaks

 

A non-binding, advisory referendum is useless

Detroit News says "sell"