Missoula Red Tape

– Keila Szpaller

Posted on November 4th, 2009 under City Council, Uncategorized, mayor. Tags: City Council, city government, Missoula City Council, Szpaller. Comments: None

John Quandt* is tweeting from the campaign trail, and it isn’t always a smooth ride out there. But the tweets* are lively. This from the Ward 3 candidate’s August 30th day on the trail:
1. “heading out to hit the pavement after getting hit by a skate boarder. Yup full on broadsided me and I [...]

Posted on September 3rd, 2009 under City Council, Elections. Tags: City Council, Missoula City Council, Quandt, Szpaller. Comments: None

In Councilman Bob Jaffe’s weekly committee report, he tells people to chop their weeds — and he gives them a good reason to do so. It’s $383 you’ll save.
“The way this works is someone complains about someone else’s weeds. Someone from Public works then goes out and checks it out and takes pictures. [...]

Posted on July 30th, 2009 under City Council. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Szpaller. Comments: 9

I’m going to talk with our tech folks soon about putting together a Web site that’s dedicated to city elections. I’m picturing something I saw once on the Chicago Tribune site. It was a map of the city, and you could float your mouse over different districts and the candidates’ pictures would pop up with [...]

Posted on July 28th, 2009 under City Council, Elections. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Szpaller. Comments: 6

The city of Missoula is asking the court to deny or quash the lawsuit — a “writ of mandate” — filed on the zoning rewrite. Deputy city attorney Keithi Worthington forwarded the city’s response.*
In it, city attorney Jim Nugent writes that the “affidavits are permeated with speculative allegations as to what, in their personal opinion, [...]

Posted on July 27th, 2009 under City Council, Zoning rewrite. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Missoula government, Szpaller. Comments: 1

Here’s the Attorney General’s “advisory” letter* that Ross Best mentioned in Council Chambers. Best said the city needs to be more stringent in enforcing ethical guidelines for public officials serving on boards of nonprofits that get money passed through the city.
He used Councilman Bob Jaffe as an example — Jaffe sits on the board of [...]

Posted on July 20th, 2009 under City Council. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council. Comments: 9

The three council-plaintiffs in the lawsuit about the zoning rewrite aren’t worried about keeping their seats.
Just one is up for re-election this year, and that’s Councilman Dick Haines, running against Mike O’Herron in Ward 5. Haines said he believes the city and planning department are making huge mistakes, and if his beliefs cost him re-election, [...]

Posted on July 20th, 2009 under City Council, Elections, Zoning rewrite. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Missoula election. Comments: None

Councilwoman Marilyn Marler is tweeting, but Mayor John Engen said he’s not gonna do it. Why not, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom tweets? Well, Engen said Newsom doesn’t tweet at all — he leaves it to one of his “gajillion” staffers. (Gavin: Is it true?! Oh, my heart.)
One of Engen’s department heads commented on [...]

Posted on July 20th, 2009 under City Council. Tags: City Council, Mayor John Engen, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Public Works. Comments: 3

One resident sees the plus side to a lousy economy …
Dear City Council Members and Mayor Engen,
On the evening of July 13th I could unfortunately not attend the city council meeting. My wife was out of town, so I was home with my three children. We live (on Duncan Drive) above the [...]

Posted on July 16th, 2009 under City Council, Sewer, Subdivisions, Uncategorized. Tags: City Council, Missoula, Missoula City Council, Missoula government. Comments: 4