After listening to citizens complain about the Blueprint process, City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow voiced strong opinions of his own, which kicked off a spirited discussion among elected officials.
Referring to the Blueprint process, Matlow said, “This is madness….it’s a sham.”
Matlow railed on a process that he implied benefits developers and monied interests. He voiced concern about the relationship between Blueprint and campaign consultants.
Matlow also questioned why tax revenue that will not be collected for years is being tied up in projects that will not be built for years.
His comments resulted in a strong rebuke from City Commissioner Curtis Richardson who took his comments personally. Chairman Bryan Desloge also criticized Matlow’s comments.
The back and forth continued between other elected officials. The discussion made it clear, that in addition to Matlow, other elected officials were concerned about the process and the relationship between the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency and the staff.
Matlow. Shouldn’t you be worried about the health department issues at your restaurant? You haven’t proposed anything for this city other than the boondoggle “fiber” and stir the pot. Name one good thing for this city you have proposed? You are like the kid in school no one likes but says you have all these friends. “I promise if you elect me Class President I will get six period off.” Then nothing. All talk no action.
The problem with Blueprint is that it is an organization that undermines the approved transportation planning process. Rather than just a funding mechanism or a public works agency that constructs projects, it has become the city's way to plan transportation projects instead of letting the CRTPA do their job. The CRTPA does the modeling, they do the short range Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), they develop the long range transportation plan (LRTP). This is all federally mandated, and is done all over the US. Whatever Blueprint wants to do needs to be included in the LRTP and the TIP and needs to be blessed by the CRTPA. That's they way things are supposed to work.
Thank you, Commissioner Matlow!
I appreciate your voice on this issue.
Watch Blueprint carefully:
There's more than you know going on.
Maybe this is the reason Supt. Hanna hired Richardson full time to handle PR for vocational programs in Leon Co. Schools. The inside crooks have to keep each other paid.
A job he got because he is a city commissioner? It certainly can’t be because of his skills in the PR field.
Don’t give any credence to anything Commissioner Richardson says, he’s too stupid to understand. Remember he was the commissioner who denied any unethical or illegal activities were going on at city hall while Maddox was getting rich. He’s just a numbskull whose greatest talent is talking for long periods without saying anything of substance
Wasn't Richardson caught with a tranny in his car when he was in the legislature?
Commissioner Matlow ROCKS! He just Had enough gumption to say the obvious.
The Emperor HAS NO CLOTHES!
Mr. Matlow, I didn't vote for you, but now I wish I had - I'm glad you got elected. By your actions at this meeting, you stood up for the average citizens of your city and their voices over the entrenched cronyism and under-table payoffs that usually are the real levers of power in Tallahassee. Please keep at it, Mr. Matlow - the Commissioners who took your comments and observations as some kind of negative personal comment on them are likely involved in the cronyism to some degree - and seeing it pointed out probably alarms them. Don't give up, Tallahassee citizens are counting on you.
I agree Mike. Some may find it hard to believe but Bill Proctor was standing up citizens rights and was very uncomfortable with the actions of Blueprint.
BTW - the meeting is being rebroadcast on Comcast ch 13 right now. Should be on at 10 AM and I think 7 PM for another week.
Good job Matlow! You are becoming a voice of a LEADER, not a political lackey thus far! Ignore incumbents criticisms, their coffers are aligned with special interest monies and it's their job to see the donors' interest are achieved by any economic means necessary using Blueprint IA slush fund II.
You'll be reminded of your comments when Matlow's minions come to bare. He's foolish and irresponsible. Just wait, you'll see. He fooled you all.
Look up the names and addresses who own residences or land off Roberts, Centerville and Miccosukee. I guarantee those individuals are paying to a favor or 2 to BPIG to make sure the route goes through Killearn and not their own home and street.
Desloge is full time for the development special interest group that controls city and county gov.
These decisions were made 3 or 4 years ago. I doubt there is anything you or I could say or do now that will change anything. They are committed to wasting $90+ million on "economic development" and ignoring central sewer in favor of stormwater runoff. They've been told time and again but by the time the public realizes how much they wasted, these elected officials will be long gone.
I think they expanded the scope of the traffic study to look at taking the welannie blvd up to Roberts road !
But they passed it anyway
They passed it because it is the end of the Fiscal year. It had to be done. The commissioners did say that the budget items could be scrutinized before the new years money(October 1) was actually spent. They agreed to include a traffic study for the Phase II Welaunee extension(Roberts Road) now along with the Killearn traffic study.
Blueprint never planned to look at what relief a road to to Roberts may provide to Thomasville and Centerville road until after the construction had begun for the Welaunee connector to Shamrock South. The bullying and obfuscation of Blueprint was exposed.
One of the Commissioners said something very disturbing at the table. The commissioner said the IA meeting was very important and it was rare to have the 3 branches of local government together. They actually said the 3 branches were the City, The County, and Blueprint.
I have a huge problem with this if Blueprint is now regarded a 'branch ' of local government. If this is true - please tell me who elected Blueprint leaders and who are they accountable to?
I must have missed that election.
Blue Print is not the only one, wait until the Children’s Services Council (CSC) gets set up. They too will be their own Branch, accountable to NO ONE, able to raise our Property Taxes when they need MORE Money, can Spend that Money any way they see fit...……… Research it, you will see. They say the Children’s Services Council is needed for the Children but it is a Scam. Vote NO on it in 2020.
Good catch, Thomas!
"it is the end of the Fiscal year. It had to be done." The end of the fiscal year is an arbitrary date to make the accounting easier, but they don't ever HAVE to pass or spend anything just because it fits in the budget in any specific fiscal year.
Correction: It was Commissioner Desloge and he said "a third form of Government"
Sorry for the error.