Without a Rudder

Blaine is currently using reserves to cover revenue shortfalls. On course to municipal bankruptcy, I wonder if Blaine citizens will become involved in turning things around at city hall. The director of Community Development Services (CDS), who was responsible for the downtown zoning fiasco that allowed a church in the tourism retail area between the plazas, just resigned. That leaves CDS short of three key personnel, and our community without a rudder. 

A major change at city hall is required if we want to prosper, and that can only come from Blaine citizens. Most cities have civic improvement groups involved with city hall to help officials from making costly mistakes. Indeed, that is why public participation is required under the Growth Management Act, so planners at city hall can solicit ideas from the community, not just paid staff and consultants. 

While city hall gets an "F" for its handling of the downtown revitalization project, citizens of Blaine get an "F" for public involvement. What that tells me is there is a void of leadership, perhaps due to the lack of opportunity in Blaine, which is a symptom of an impoverished community. The old guard is clearly not up to the task, so it's up to the newcomers to step up. A first step is to improve communication between city hall and Blaine residents, so we know what's happening.