City of Bellemeade

The front entrance is looking horrible.  Any plans to get the weeds pulled?

YES!I assume you are talking about the Bellemeade Road entrance. Work is already being done by volunteers on the North Chadwick entrance.

I have asked the Beautification Committee to organize a cadre of volunteers to keep both entrances clear of weeds.

You may VOLUNTEER ANYTIME

Thank You

Mayor Larry Odom-Groh

All through these posts there are numbers of thongs like this one that are going unfunded, but yet we are spending money to plant trees on private property.  Please justify that.  The only justification that has been proffered that I can find is that the trees increase the value of the houses in the city.

Number 1:  since when is it government's responsibility to increase the value of private property? 

Number 2:  Government is responsible for safety and the appearance of the city-owned property.  Why were the entrances not included in the contract with the landscape company at the time?  Why was the money being spent on planting trees on private property and to clean out a ditch in an easement on private property?  Why was it necessary to call for volunteeers; why did you not ask the so-called Beautification Committee to spend some of their allocation on beautifying the entrances?

Number 3:  The entrances DO look better NOW because a resident of our city, Mr Ellingsworth, is under a very reasonable contract to care for them.  I must commend our Commission on that change.  Correct me if I am wrong, but you did take the responsibility of the entrances away from the Beautification Committee and place it in the hands of the City Commission, did you not?  That being true, it appears that the Beautification Committee needs NO MONEY since they did not handle that responsibilty well at all.

SUMMATION:  Tax money needs to be spent on areas of city responsibility (public domain) and NOT on private property.  Having an autonomous committe which spends money on improving PRIVATE PROPERTY with PUBLIC FUNDS is at the very least suspect.  I have not been to a Commission meeting but two times in the past three years, but I do hear what is going on via phone, email, and word of mouth.  I am hearing a growing resentment about neglect of certain public areas whilst you continue to fund the improvement of private property.  You would do well to listen for the drum beats.