Unlike yours truly, certain members of Annapolis City Council have found some extra time on their hands this summer. And their lack of social media common sense just reconfirms my desire to change legal residence so I can run for office. After all, it’s not about me. It’s about you, the citizen. I’d just be taking my civic duties to the next level.
But I digress. (I’ve been away from the blogosphere for a bit, so please bear with me as I get back into the groove.)
A little over a month ago, there was this street festival, music thingy. Eastport-a-Rockin’. This festival took place outside the Maritime Museum on 2nd Street and used the “park” as one of the stages. A(nother) sign had been put up. Smack dab in the middle. Long story, the sign came down. Plus, it was an eye sore as it stood. AND there’s already a sign there. Anyhow… a little bit ago, my favorite Ward 4 Alderman posted on her Facebook page about the situation. I’m not sure what my favorite part of the whole thing was, but I do know that she was an English teacher at some point. And I know there is a minor error on the sign. (Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.) Lastly, at almost 10 a.m. on a workday, I’d like to think my elected officials have better things to do than whine about personal issues on Facebook. But apparently they are taking this new Wayfinding Program quite seriously.
In fact, they, or their subordinates, are busy posting signs all over town. Instead of helping businesses open, they’re posting stop work order signs. And I guess the City has started with the Market House debacle since they’ve reserved parking for contractors. When I snapped this picture today at 6 p.m. today, there were cars parked there. And I can almost guarantee they weren’t contractors. After all, what City contractor (or employee) works past 5 p.m.? Crap, they aren’t even working at 10 a.m.
Now how do we go about getting a City job? I guess we just need to move and run for office. After all, what’s one more thing to this girl’s plate?
Not only was the sign put up the day before the platform/park was to be used for Eastport a Rockin’ (a use which was permitted far in advance) and in such a way that use of that park would have been impossible…
1. it was placed in the center of the front of the park, blocking the view of the water from the street
2. It was placed in a way that obstructs use of that park as a public dinghy loading area and public right of way to the water
3. it was placed in such a way as to make access to the fire department’s water connection difficult if not impossible in the event of an emergency
4. there is already a sign, saying the exact same thing, but stylistically correct, in the grassy area to the side of the bricked platform
5. I could be wrong, but I think that when the sign was taken down, it was done in such a way that it could be replaced and easily removed in the event of an emergency or other event. However, someone in the city felt it had to be the way it was originally, or not at all. Because God forbid anyone in the city compromise on anything.
The sign was a bad install and there are other places in that park where it could go and not obstruct the view, the public right of way and, most importantly, the use by the fire department. That is, if the city really thinks it is necessary to add another sign saying the exact same thing to that very small park. I, for one, can think of a few other ways the city can spend its money.