FNSB Assembly Unanimously Votes Against Borough Climate Plan
A long night in the Assembly chambers lead to an unanimous vote against adopting the modified Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). Members voted against it for two very different reasons.
As closing comments cemented around the role of government stretched past 1am, the FNSB Assembly voted down adoption of a Borough Climate and Adaption Plan (CAAP). The Borough Trails Plan was punted to later.
Assembly members ended (and perhaps, despite some grumbling around the contrary, also began) the night in one of two camps: they either felt that the plan had been compromised by cuts and edits, and was no longer the strong document that our community had asked for (O’Neall, Kelly, Fletcher, Guttenberg), or they felt that a borough climate itself plan was wasteful, ineffective, otherwise getting in the way of our heroic private industry, and an example of “the boot of government on the neck of our residents”, to paraphrase only slightly (Haney, Wilson, Cash, Lojewski, and ….probably Rotermund, though I don’t think he actually uttered a single word other than “No” during the whole CAAP discussion).
Testimony went on for hours, and it was often raw and passionate. All but two and a half of the 50+ participants were for passing a stronger version of the CAAP in front of the Assembly. Unfortunately, it did not seem to matter.
Several Assembly members, including Fletcher and O’Neall, offered up amendments. All but one small wording change were denied.
It wasn’t among the best of them, and it didn’t always mirror my frustration, but my own testimony is below:
Hi everybody. It’s an evening of heavy feelings and maybe more than one Borough plan, and I appreciate you all listening and keeping the testimony of our community in mind.
I also appreciate the work of both climate action committees that have delivered this plan here today. I am confident that everyone who’s participated and volunteered their labor to build it has our community’s best interest in mind.
However, I did want to share my disappointment at the process that’s led us here, and ultimately the plan itself.
That process has culminated in a product that’s less than the sum of the many years of work and public testimony that went into and informed it, and a large chunk of that is due to the sudden firing and replacement of almost the entirety of the original climate action committee late last year.
This new committee, due to no fault of their own, had little time to absorb the history, experience, and direction of the original. Many new committee members also had a drastically different vision for what a climate plan of a 2nd class Borough can and should look like.
Having differing visions is fine: but the execution of that vision begun near the tail end of a process that stretched for years beforehand. That sudden shift has left many in our community feeling like our local government is acting without keeping significant public input in mind.
I would also add to several voices that have noted the disrespect and disregard given residents that participated in recent climate action coming meetings, especially younger residents.
As others have noted already, the new committee has reworked sections and language around the proposed plan. It feels rushed, which is disappointing. It also feels more watered down than the plan that our community have continually and loudly asked for.
It’s already a long evening, but I would urge the Assembly to take your time and restore the climate plan before you.
As we sit with the unfortunate truth of the death of the CAAP, just a reminder that three seats on the Assembly (Lojewski, who’s termed out, Wilson, and Cash) are up for election again on October 3. Cash filed election paperwork earlier this week, and Wilson will likely run again.
Which lends a nice transition to the fact that there’s a municipal candidate kick-off event coming up next Wednesday, June 14.
I’ve met and spoken with Scott, Bobby, Nick, and Liz (duh) and I’m very excited they are running. I hope you can join them at Ester Park next Wednesday: here’s the link to the Facebook event. Tell your friends!
Even one seat shifts the majority. That would be huge.
Today is the 2nd Friday of the month, which means our Fahrenkamp Lunch speaker panel is at noon today!
Representative Ashley Carrick, Representative Maxine Dibert, and Senator Löki Gale Tobin will join us for lunch and a discussion of their first legislative session.
When: Friday, June 9, 2023, at 12pm.
Zoom Info: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78627714765?pwd=KY0U9gihtT4kOca6c7uaLF6xk6oYVm.1
Meeting ID: 786 2771 4765
Passcode: 086679
Hope you can join us!