Indiana

Cityscape

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Quite a few items from city hall tonight.  Here they are…

1. Public Safety Director Scott Newman reportedly is stepping down later this week.  Sources say the reasons are health-related.  Newman has Parkinson’s Disease.
2. A measure that would have banned panhandling at city intersections will have to wait for another meeting to pass.  It only mustered 14 votes, 15 is needed to become law. Republicans say it was necessary for public safety, Democrats said is restricted free speech.
3. City-County Councilor Bill Oliver voted against several appointments tonight for the Equal Opportunity Board.  Since none of them were African-American, Oliver said they weren’t diverse enough, even though out of the four appointments there was a woman, gay and Puerto Rican.
4. Libertarian Ed Coleman plans to introduce an ordinance requiring all city contracts to be put on-line.  This would be the second ordinance Coleman has introduced since switching from Republican to Libertarian in February.
5. And although it hasn’t gotten much publicity in the news, watch for Lawrence Township to be one the next Townships to go the consolidation route.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on July 20, 2009 (boomark / email).