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Saturday, October 25, 2014

RAMSEY - Upcoming city council meeting.

Without mention in the agenda materials of "Jim Deal" or of "PSD, LLC," this agenda item relates to the presently lapsed Deal earnest money offer to buy city-owned Town Center land. The draft Planning Commission agenda pages are bare bone, curiously so, unnecessarily so; and yet if Brauer and VanScoy oppose things, they represent institutional memory in town greater than anyone on staff has regarding the planning and thinking then and now; and that's a red flag to me.

Why the barebones minutes in the package? Surely better drafted, more complete minutes from the Planning Commission would be required to understand the objections. That has the appearance of a James Norman type of stunt, the appearance of an insincerity of effort to preserve and present detail, and we all should take notice and demand more of staff with regard to Planning Commission deliberation of the issue.

It seems some agenda is getting fast-tracked in the agenda processes, perhaps wrongly.

Apart from that, a caveat: Those who would suggest Jim Deal can influence decisions in nefarious ways, however, should note the city's agendas for the upcoming week touch three land deal proposals, where in each instance the proposing party has worded its contract in a manner best attuned to its plans and financial interest.

Jim Deal is but one of three so positioned, along with the Church, and the garage door firm. Everybody makes as favorable an offer to their own interests as they feel proper. Jim Deal is no different, as one within a uniform sample of three offerees.

Some should come forward and admit it is in no way wrong nor unique that Jim Deal seeks the best deal he can get.

The Church does it. The garage door firm does it. Why hold Deal to some different standard?

(See the following two posts re the other pending cash purchase real estate offer, and the Church's land swap offer.)