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  Forest Hill Road    

 

Macon, Ga

 SOS forest

   Meeting
 5-31-07 
 Policy Committee of MATS
  ( Macon Area Transportation Study )  

 

 We barely lost on a vote 4-5 to $ave Forest Hill Road
Friends
...Good Guys Above...

click here for more pictures - 1 West side of room, and East side
click here for image of the "sign-in" sheet

Bad Boys Below
Not
Jones County (website) Commissioners politicians pictured above are #1-Bert Liston (742-0351) and #2-Michael Underwood (986-6405)...  Later (10-3-07) Mr Liston informed Lindsay Holliday that Liston and Underwood plan to abstain from any further votes about FHR because they now realize it is an issue that is too complicated for them to take the time to study.  They have their hands full right now with Jones County issues.  They are neither for nor against the FHR projects.

It is noteworthy that this meeting was the first time I have ever seen Bibb County Commissioner, Elmo Richardson to abstain from voting on a public project from which he is profiting personally.  His engineering firm - Stantec - has done most of the engineering work on Forest Hill Road for which they have already been paid several hundred thousand dollars. 

5-31-07

The Policy Committee voted this morning 5 to 4 to continue with Forest Hill Road. The new chair of the Transit Authority did not vote. He needs to understand the value of a scaled back project.

The two votes from Jones County killed us. Why do they care?..  What were they thinking?

 Interesting that a majority of elected or appointed members of the committee who live within the city or Bibb County voted to scale back FHR and two that don't even live here, nor would  be affected by the project voted to destroy the neighborhood!!



I heard Vernon had an apoplectic fit at this morning's Policy Committee meeting! That must mean we're doing something right......... He'd better get used to it, because we're about to turn up the heat....
 - - L...


 
http://www.macon-bibb.com/FHR  



: Citizen Comments :



Hi Lindsay -- I did not speak up because I didn't know when to do it.  I've not been to one of these meetings before, as I'm sure you know.  I didn't know that I could just raise my hand at any time and ask to speak.  As I sat there, I felt less and less inhibited, but as the tension rose I never sensed a good time to speak.  In addition, my notes were not well organized and I think I can speak better and more concisely if there is another meeting.  I had to leave to teach at 11:00.
 
    My general impression is that these guys are very, very slick -- I guess that's the definition of a politician.  They can talk down just about anything and get it voted against.  I noticed as the meeting progressed that the 2 opposing sides sat facing each other; the 'good guys' at the end near the door, and everyone else around the table with their leaders at the head of the table.  Next time it would be interesting to have the 'good guys' sit at the head of the table, just by getting there early, to see if that changes the dynamic in the room.  Just a thought; probably a silly one.  It has to do with controlling things just by the vibes in the room.  Another thought was that the good guy who was Anita's proxy should have had his proxy paper in hand; the bad guys covered their bases better than the good guys.  As a musician, I know that preparation is everything.  Could anything be done to cover every opposition they can come up with next time -- outmaneuver them?


    Meanwhile, I am sorry I didn't speak up, but I didn't know I could jump in and I didn't feel well enough prepared anyway as things unfolded.

    Will there be another meeting, and if so, when and where?
- Barbara A. - Fri, 1 Jun 2007

Jeannie W. H. - Fri, 1 Jun 2007

Drat! You have my permission to substitute another four letter word.
I have a problem with votes from Jones Co...?!
Think I'll send an email of thanks to those who voted "correctly."
Thanks to both of you for all you do.


Dan F. -

Why does Rojas have a vote on road projects!  Wouldn't you think "professional courtesy" would require that members not in the jurisdiction would defer to those representing the citizens affected by the project?


Carol L. -

Do we need to "invite" the 2 from Jones County to "meet us under the trees" at St Francis?    Or do we need to make an appointment to go see them?????????  I wish they would come here....so we can have a "show & Tell" in the neighborhood!




I’m sorry we weren’t there. Keep up the heat. You know I love vigilance.

I’m starting two blogs, by the way. They go live Monday. Check ‘em out for me then, please? Would love to have a thoughtful readership.  http://www.macon.com/lucididiocy/
 -= Travis Fain= -  


MATS MEMBERS

MATS Policy Committee: Who's got a seat at the table?

The Macon Area Transportation Study Policy Committee is a group of elected and appointed local leaders that sets road construction priorities. Here is a list of members:

1. Mayor of Macon

2. Mayor of Payne City

3. Chairman of the Macon Public Works Committee

4. Chairman of the Bibb County Commission Public Works Committee

5. Chairman of the Jones County Commission

6. Chairman of the Middle-Georgia Regional Development Commission

7. Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner or his designee

8. Designated Jones County commissioner

9. Chairman of the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission

10. Chairman of the Bibb County Commission

11. Chairman of the Macon Transit Authority

12. Chairman of the Macon Water Authority

13. Chairman of the MATS citizens' advisory committee

14. President Macon City Council

15. Chairman of the Bibb County Commission Finance Committee

16. Designated Jones County commissioner

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/14084789.htm

SOURCE: MATS bylaws





- CAUTION Macon -

Forest Hill Road