Letter to the Editor: Hello? Anybody there?
Trending
I have been attending Parkersburg City Council meetings regularly for about two years. During this time I have taken the opportunity to address the council many times. Sometimes it was to ask questions, other times it was to make suggestions. There are usually around 10 citizens who also take advantage of the public forum. The format has evolved over time, from speaking for a limited time, to speaking only on agenda items, to speaking on any topic with counselors being able to respond.
There have been many times where ordinances and changes are being voted on without much time for the citizens who will be affected to weigh in on the impact. Maybe there should be more time allowed for opinions and suggestions instead of moving fast and consider long term effects
I have a concern about a city project. I decided not to bring it up at a public forum. I stopped at the city building to try and talk to the person in charge. He was not available but the lady made a memo with my name and number. I heard nothing. I next used PKB Connect again asking someone to contact me. Again I heard nothing. The end of July I personally delivered a letter to the mayor on the fifth floor asking for help. Again nothing. Two weeks later I delivered another letter to the mayor asking if he could direct me to someone to talk to. To date I have not heard from anyone in the city.
No matter which direction one takes, many questions remain unanswered.
Some have asked the city counselors for answers only to get responses that are disrespectful. I'm not sure if they are meant to be or the questions are unanswerable.
Everything done in the city starts at the top. I had hoped by asking the head of the city I would get some direction. Sadly I did not.
Cathy Whitlatch
Parkersburg