The LMWA held its November meeting at the Louisville NE Regional Library.

The purpose of the gathering was to encourage East-end activists to help increase citizen knowledge of Metro planning and design processes, Land Development Code, the Comprehensive Plan 2040, and open records/open meetings law. LMWA is working to promote greater transparency and accountability in our Metro government.

LMWA’s facilitator is Tina Burnell. Guest speakers included Amye Bensenhaver, Martina Kunnecke and others in the reform arena. The group’s website is on Facebook.

In December 2023, several reform aficionados spoke at the December meeting of the Metro Council. They issued a call for an investigation into the broken, biased Planning and Design process, the make-up of the Planning Commission, as well as at the manipulation and efforts to influence zoning and development matters being carried out by those with a direct or indirect financial interest.

Tina explained that unrestrained development

• Is driven by questionable motives
• Is irresponsible
• Harms our community
• Fails to properly consider impact on infrastructure
• Fails to consider a lack of community resources
• Displaces homeowners
• Negatively impacts the environment
• Fails to consider sustainability
• Drives deforestation which harms wildlife habitat, ecosystems, etc
• Harms air quality and
• Benefits a few to the detriment of the many

The group suggests these criteria for When to Act as a Watchdog:

• When you’re seeking to institute or change laws or regulations
• When you’re seeking to institute or change laws or regulations
• When a new project or venture is starting or about to start, and you have concerns about its impact
• When you believe the public interest is threatened
• When an entity or individual— government, government officials etc. —have proven untrustworthy in the past
• When you suspect taxpayer funds are being exploited and misused
• When you receive information about actual, planned or likely harmful or questionable actions or practices
• When democracy is actually or potentially under attack
• When simple justice demands it

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