Opinion Poll Canceled
The Garden City News has learned that since the Sept. 11th meeting of the Garden City Board of Trustees, the Joint Conference Committee of property owners' associations reconvened on Sept. 15th but was unable to come to an agreement on the opinion poll questions. The matter has now been turned over to the Garden City Board of Trustees.
According to Brian Daughney, president of the Eastern Property Owners' Association and chair of the JCC, the Western Property Owner's Association stood by their original decision to side with the Central POA and have a one-question, "AvalonBay, yes or no" poll. Since there is no consensus, Daughney told the News in an e-mail that, "We will not run a poll which violates the spirit of the community agreement."
Daughney has talked with Mayor Peter Bee and told him the Oct. 7th vote has been called off and the JCC believes the matter should now be handled by the Board of Trustees.
Mayor Bee told the Garden City News via e-mail that the Board may consider hiring a professional pollster. He said: "I think it's unfortunate that the POAs could not agree on common language for a public opinion poll on the St. Paul's issues. If the POAs want to hold different polls open to all Village residents or restricted to their own POA, that is their option as independent associations.
"A POA poll was just one of several methods to supply the Board with input from the public. We have already received extensive comments at our regular Board meetings and from those who participated in AvalonBay's several community presentations and from those who write letters to our local newspapers.
"Hiring a well-qualified pollster to do a community-wide poll may be another way for the Board of Trustees to receive impartial input from a true cross section of the community. That's something the Board should consider."
