Peter Houk said on Saturday, @ 6:40 PM, “…If every detour into the weeds is written up on Mlive, then people will be unlikely to suggest the kinds of unusual ideas and creative compromises that we need….”   I agree.

I’ve been an aerospace engineer and also a Design and Release Engineer for Ford Motor’s Visteon division. Often a group of engineers will brainstorm and toss out all sorts of ideas. Many are forgotten once a good solution becomes apparent, and usually it is apparent to all. Sometimes this winning idea came from a ”wacky” idea that someone else said. But if the person who said the original “wacky” idea thought that it was being recorded and then poorly edited excerpts of this conversation was going to be posted on a website or published in a newspaper, the “wacky” comment that led to the winning solution might never have been suggested. That would be a shame, as the best idea or solution would never happen.

This is especially true if what one of us might say is then taken out of context or embellished.  I read on A2 underwater that the public comment is at 9 PM and those who speak do so “to an empty chamber, and then only for three minutes each.”  I have been at each of these meetings and each time, just about all of us politely stayed as we were interested in the public commentary that followed.

Last week and over the weekend, one CAC member posted on A2 underwater that the city, OHM, and Charlie Fleetham are “concealing all current and future documents from the Citizens of Ann Arbor”.

 

This was after Charlie Fleetham posted the legal opinion from the Ann Arbor city attorney on this matter. Actually, all studies and reports are open to the public, as they should be, and no one has suggested otherwise. It is our discussions and brainstorming that Charlie and others are considering.

 On Saturday, Jan 25 at 6:40 PM Peter Houk also said, “cast my vote for option 3 or something similar.” I agree. He said:

 “3.  Everything stays only in Basecamp until the CAC releases it's report and recommendations, then everything is made public. 

(Somebody jump in and add a 4th here if you want.)

There is a big difference between making all of the data and information that we have made public, as it should be, Vs making all of our discussion about this data and results. Do we want to casually reply to a posting late at night, say something foolish, and then have it published? After all, we are human and to err is to be human.  

Peter is correct. I would like to have some discussion about this topic amongst all of us. It is needed, and preferably prior to our next meeting.