Motivation for today’s letter derives from a mailing by Derby’s mayor that accuses 6 alderman of political bias and obstructing downtown re-development.
They are accused of “stalling” progress by tabling motions the mayor states are necessary to advance developer negotiations.
After listening to the audio record of the August 10th BOA meeting, reviewing the associated information packets, and researching prior BOA meeting minutes regarding the Factory Street parcel acquisition, I believe the action taken by the 6 aldermen to table the motions was necessary and appropriate.
The confusion, misunderstandings, and misgivings that surfaced during the August 10th meeting could not be ignored. Furthermore, these are symptoms of a flawed process, not flawed people.
With that thought in mind, my suggestions to alleviate the situation follow:
Create written documents to aid organizational memory throughout subsequent meetings and working groups that will be necessary for completing this effort.
Create advocacy by including a member of the Board of Alderman on the acquisition/negotiation team.
Establish regular reporting to all City stakeholders with provisions for adaptations and re-approvals as conditions change.
The developer’s need for a city commitment to acquire the property and the cities need to protect our interests can be satisfied with publication of a BOA approved acquisition strategy. The change from eminent domain to a commercial purchase, funding options, issues identified and risks to be mitigated can be documented.
A negotiation team can be identified and authorized to create an acquisition proposal for the city to acquire the property.
The acquisition proposal documents the negotiations, all commitments made by the parties, the recourse available should any party not meet obligations and most importantly, the steps required to achieve a successful acquisition. It should be expected that the complexities and time frames involved may require several iterations to yield a document all stakeholders will agree to.
This document becomes the basis for the contract(s) that execute the acquisition and align with established approval chains.
I’ve purposely omitted many details and refuse to pass judgement on what’s been proposed so far to keep the focus on the need for a disciplined process.
Based on the highly charged dialog at the meeting on August 10th , I strongly recommend that a more disciplined process supported by detailed documentation, organized analysis, and over communication will lead to a successful acquisition critical for Derby’s Downtown Redevelopment.
William Harris Jr.
DERBY
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