Tonight's CB9 Meeting

It all happens so fast one can barely keep up. Last night the Executive Committee of CB9 met to deal with allegations against one Tim Thomas of the Board for tampering, lying, falsifying and generally be a no-good-S.O.B. The ne'er-do-well in question is, Tim Thomas of Clarkson Avenue, a father of two and sometime "musician" and blogger, who is also head of the Transportation Committee. He was served with papers requesting that the Board remove him from the Committee for, essentially, exercising his 1st Amendment rights to call his accusers out on their own no-so-delicate behavior. The City Charter is very clear on the matter. Community Board members must divulge matters in which they have a conflict of interest, particularly where their financial or employment interests are involved. They must recuse themselves from voting or lobbying for a particular position when such a conflict is present. They are not asked to refrain from political activity or to not have an opinion on matters relating to and not relating to the Board. They are not bound to keep their lips zipped (these are all Open Meetings after all) nor are they prevented from calling someone, outside a meeting and not directly to the persons who've sought to remove him "f&$%# clowns." (Though in hindsight he might have thought better of it, and used the word jerks in place of clowns. Clowns suggests people who don't know what they're doing, while jerks are clearly people who are, well, jerks. The adjective, particularly in NYC, is hardly worthy of note. Seen Cable TV lately?)

Tonight's agenda is quite slim, but don't let that keep you away! Til yesterday, a presentation from The Empire Study Group was to be made, with the help of MTOPP and Tom Angotti, an anti-City-Planning dude who's been advising MTOPP on matters related to our neighborhood. The Executive Committee then noted that the Empire Study Group had never appeared before the ULURP Committee, and so the matter was returned to the Committee for review. Look for fireworks regarding that decision, lit and discharged she-who-shall-not-be-named and various co-conspirators.

As to the Empire Reconstruction Project, well, the Transportation Chair Tim Thomas took a revote (or UPDATED vote if you prefer) and the committee voted 6-4 in favor. But, due to allegations by a Ms. Karen Fleming of MTOPP & ESG (not the band, the MTOPP offshoot), that vote needed to be investigated by the Executive, who found his September Minutes to have carelessly omitted the original 4-0 vote in favor (because he was told it wasn't necessary by then DM Pearl Miles) and he promised to be more vigilant in the future. The Project was therefore returned to the Committee to start all over again, though not before a bunch of attendees weighed in on how Mr. Thomas handled the matters before the committee, many of whom were not present at the previous meetings, and probably should have waited til the actual committee meeting to make suggestions as how to proceed.

Mr. Thomas continues to contend that the Committee has done its job, looked at the proposal closely, voted not once but twice in favor, and been satisfied that questions and comments were either resolved by DOT or left as is, because they've decided some of the community's opinions are not negotiable for the project to work. DOT wants a letter of support. Mr. Thomas is considering simply asking that a letter be sent saying the Board can't reach consensus on the matter, since consensus and support are two different things. This, despite the fact that it really quite accurate, will likely be attacked by the minority opinion as inadequate. Apparently it's okay to vote, and vote, and vote again until the outcome conforms to your opinion. Such turn the wheels of democracy.

In addition, she-who-shall-not-be-named brought a toddler to the "removal of Tim Thomas" meeting last night. One would think that one would not bring a child to a meeting where one planned on loudly and rudely and angrily disagreeing and pointing fingers and ridiculing her neighbors, even once or twice placing the child on the table as if he were a human shield, or maybe weapon. This from the same woman who produced young boy at a previous CB meeting and tearfully claimed that kids like him are why she fights, because many of them will end up homeless and sexually abused in shelters. I shit you not, as I live in breathe, that's what she said. In front of the child, with her hands on his shoulders.

The Q will speak to Mr. Thomas to determine his next course of action. It is believed that he will continue to speak up for what he thinks is right, and wrong, with CB9 and she-who-shall-not-be-named, except by the anagram Cabia Doily. On the other hand, he might go to lunch as he's hungry and his head is throbbing.