City of Bellemeade

I raised objection to that stop sign folly over a week ago on this site and nobody else joined me.  You are TOTALLY CORRECT in saying that we suffer from a SEVERE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT.  If you will recall mayor laryl spent 3 or 4 months "looking into" the speeding problem and the home security problem with no sensible result.  Money, or the lack of it, was tendered as the reasoning to not contract for police patrols.  HOWEVER, our City Commission does not hesitate to spend money (TAX MONEY!!!!!!) to plant trees on PRIVATE PROPERTY or to not only continue, but to INCREASE the budgetary allocation for the cursed Beautification Committee. 

And, that cop out of citizens being asked to nicely attend the monthly meeting to get things done is also ridiculous - attend, and sit where?   There is no published agenda available online prior to the meeting that might encourage citizens to attend.  Laryl gave some excuse about that.  Bellemeade City Commission, you want us to attend, give us a reason to attend.  I've read the minutes of some of those meetings that reflected that little or nothing was voted on and you think I'm gonna show up to find out that there is nothing happening?  Why?

It's like an empty threat of a parent to discipline a child;  without enforcement or reprimand the behavior won't change.  You can put stop signs every ten feet, but without enforcement they are pointless.  I still say some type of official police patrol, would be best.  But, no body listens. 

Speed humps aren't the answer, drivers would just go around the side streets; stop signs are ignored and ran all the time; all the while homes are being broken into in broad daylight!   YET, if we spent a little $$ on patrols, and made it a "well known fact" that we had our own police force, this would deter all three problems. 

MAYOR LARYL,   you commented on the executive session inquiry we posed this morning (actually job requirements can not be determined in executive session), but you or no one else on the Commission has come forth with any reasonable explanation on how you can spend PUBLIC TAX MONEY to plant and care for trees on PRIVATE PROPERTY and at the same time NEGLECT PUBLIC SAFETY.  Mayor, if I read correctly, Bellemeade Public Safety is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. 

Now, I guess we will have to wait until the next Bellemeade City Commission meeting to get any any response?  To use reba's words, that SUCKS!  Wonder how many more homes will be broken into during that interval....................

I do not want support from Bellemeade to maintain my property and I do not want even a penny of my tax money spent to maintain anyone elses property.  BUT, I DO want to feel safe knowing that we have adequate police patrols to deter criminal activity be it speeding, reckless driving, assault, illegal solicitations, trespass, burglary, or theft.

I was at this meeting; another North Chadwick resident proposed making a 4-way stop at the southern intersection of North Chadwick, Dorchester, and Southampton.  There was a somewhat protracted discussion in which I made the point that stop signs, speed limit signs, or any other any law or regulation is no good without ENFORCEMENT. If the 4-wat stop is the best solution that Bellemeade can muster, then I suppose we would be wise to accept it as flawed as it may be. The speeding MUST be slowed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like a number of other residents, I do not understand why the Commission has to wait until a meeeting once a month to discuss and deal with problems.  What good is a Forum if there is no dialogue?  Silence is deafening!!  And, City Commission, folks like an answer even if it is no without waiting a month for a response.  Government is an on-going, not a one day a month process.  And, oh by the way, there were not even enough seats for everyone to sit down and no effort was made to get any more. If I invite people to my house, I make sure they have a place to sit.

And one more thing while I'm warmed up - I love trees  it pains me when I see them being cut.  They add oxygen to our already polluted atmosphere.  They beautify our world.  BUT, I can not condone spending tax money to plant and care for trees on PRIVATE PROPERTY at the expense of  public safety.  That's my stand!