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The Christiansburg Town Council has some issues, and it doesn't appear they are in any hurry to correct them. The problems are so many it seems, that nobody could sit down and write just a few paragraphs about it all. It would be more like a novel. Thus, I'll keep my comments and opinions down to a short few, all timely before the elections next week.
The issue I have the most knowledge and understanding of is how the Town Council is communicating (or not) with the citizens of Christiansburg. Maybe there is nothing to hide with their lack of a consistent information flow to the community. Maybe they are simply lazy or maybe they just don't "get it". But the fact remains, and they must understand this, that their attempts to do just enough to get by provides a target for those claiming there are "backroom" deals happening. Most government offices disperse information via the web these days. Montgomery County, Blacksburg and others have websites designed to deliver information on a timely basis. Christiansburg is one of a handful of communities across the U.S. who hasn't moved forward to creating an information based website for the citizens of the community. Even where I live, in Pearisburg, our local website is not only informative but produces information in a timely manner as well. In a recent meeting, Christiansburg Town Manager Lance Terpenny said that he didn't think anyone is presently working on the website. Well, Lance, let me ask you this. You have a very disgruntled group of citizens out there who are asking for information they are entitled to. What light needs to go off in your head before you realize that somebody SHOULD be working on your site if for no other reason to provide links to the information these citizens have a right to? And if you do not have someone doing your site and the site has been abandoned, then could you please explain to us how Parks and Recreation was able to get up advance information for May? Lance, it is time for you and your merry band of Council members to do the right thing - starting with what the true owners of the local government want you to do - your jobs. There is no reason that you can not disseminate information to the citizens in a much quicker fashion. Everyone else is doing it. You are just a few miles away from some of the smartest web people in the world at Virginia Tech. There are very good, independent web design companies in the New River Valley. There are many good templates for a municipality to use, making development of a site quick and easy to do. In summary Lance - your excuses are falling on deaf ears and you are either too arrogant or lack the knowledge of what positive role a website can do for Christiansburg. Christiansburg does not need to wait for a new website to be developed to disperse information in this manner. The current site is sufficient to do so. The problem is that they have nothing to post on a timely basis. This has nothing to do with building a new website. Other departments continue to use it, why not the Town Council? And the answers coming from the Town are pure BS. Christiansburg needs to make wholesale changes at the polls next Tuesday. And that change needs to be for an "open and honest Town Government".
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Among the few kings of England remembered by reputation, not number, Richard the Lionheart reigned from 1189 to 1199. He rose to the throne following Henry II's death and set out on the Third Crusade shortly after his coronation. Unable to capture the strongly fortified city of Jerusalem, Richard negotiated a treaty with Saladin that allowed Christian pilgrims access to its holy sites. How much time did Richard spend in England during his entire reign?
The comment obviously refers to a good ol boys club which apparently has been run for some time in council.
However, your chest-thumping and blow-hardy threats I found most amusing. Kind of put a picture in my mind of something similar to the town drunk at the bar on a Saturday night ready to whoop everybody in sight