Some on council need to grow up
SINCE THEY HAVE NO
contenders in the April general election, some members of the Plymouth City Council seem to want to bring contention to their meetings.
The council was scheduled to discuss issues at the Plymouth Senior Center during their Committee of the Whole meeting last week. Instead, the session devolved into an argument between aldermen Douglas Dobratz and Ronald Lade, with absolutely no meaningful discussion of the issues involved — or of any issues at all.
Mayor Donald Pohlman gave Dobratz the chance to begin the discussion, but Dobratz chose instead to hurl charges against Lade and threatening to pursue charges of harassment against his council colleague.
Rather than take the high road and attempt to present a refutation of Lade’s charges that the center is overstaffed and too costly, Dobratz chose to be belligerent. It was no way to persuade any of his colleagues.
Lade, meanwhile, continued to insist on his ‘outside the channels’ approach to issues. He kicked off this contretemps several months ago when he demanded attendance sheets and other information from Senior Center Director Jayne Olig rather than make his request through either the mayor’s office or the Committee on Aging.
Alderman Lade spent most of last year studying the issue of proper administration for the city, agreeing with the members of the City Administrator Study Committee that efficient government operations in Plymouth require a full-time professional manager.
One point that was raised, over and over again in that committee’s study and deliberations, was that the city needs a defined chain of command and set of procedures, to be followed by everyone in city government in order for government to operate efficiently and effectively.
Yet, his own personal actions fly totally in the face of all of that. Instead, Lade decided to play maverick and charge off on his own. He might have a legitimate concern, but his process is certain to generate only resentment and lead to negativity and rumormongering.
Both aldermen only did themselves — and those they purport to represent — a huge disservice with their childish, immature behavior.
If they keep this up, pretty soon they’ll have to hold City Council meetings in the sandbox at City Park. At issue: Something or other Bottom line: Do something about it
