The following email was sent my Larry Mendenhall in response to the unsigned letter entitled “Open Letter to Highland Residents”. That was distributed last week. It is well work a read.
From: Larry Mendenhall <larrym30@msn.com>
Date: April 15, 2012 9:33:10 PM MDT
Subject: Make Your Voice Heard and Your Opinion Count at Public Hearing Tuesday April 17 Highland City Hall City Council Chambers
There will be a public hearing held Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall, regarding SUNDAY Business Opening and other related municipal code modifications.
Please attend and make your voice heard.
I was the Chairman of the Planning Commission when the Highland Market Place development (the NE corner of SR92 & SR74) was approved. At the time of approval the developer fully understood and acknowledged that Sunday Closing was a requirement by code as well as a Community Standard. Now, in the name of jump starting development and making Highland a less 'difficult place to do business', forces are gathering to change the development and municipal code to allow businesses to be open on Sunday.
Highland has a well established Community Standard prohibiting and limiting Sunday Opening. This Community Standard, I believe, is a standard shared by the majority of the residents of Highland regardless of religious affiliation.
The residents of Highland all received the "Open Letter to the Citizens of Highland". This letter is very cleverly written. I have been asked if this letter came from Highland City. It absolutely did not. Mayor Lynn Ritchie has the integrity and courage to sign any information letter sent from the City of Highland in communication with the residents.
This "Open Letter to the Residents of Highland" was not signed. There is no indication in the heading of the letter or in the body of the identity of the sender(s). Only a coward or someone who has an urgent need to promote Sunday Opening and wishes to maintain anonymity sends a letter of this nature unsigned.
Further.....This a letter couples the urgent need for road funds with the premise that sales taxes generated by new businesses in the commercial areas
of Highland City will reduce or eliminate the need for property tax. There has been no formal analysis or a pro-forma produced by a reliable source which projects the increase in sales tax revenue if Sunday Opening were allowed nor has any projected property tax increase been made available.
The open letter is a "scare" letter. No hard accurate numbers have been made available to back up claims made in the letter. Let's get the facts ahead of the legislative action.
If you take the opportunity to speak in the Public Hearing on Tuesday please urge the City Council to continue the item until such time as accurate bona fide information is available so that an informed decision can be made.
A note in closing......This matter came before the Planning Commission labeled "by request of the City Council". There was no action by the City Council as a body to ask the
Planning Commission to review the Sunday Closing ordinance. The request came from two City Council members who, to my understanding, suggested that the request be
labeled a "request by the City Council". I am concerned with the lack of openness and transparency in the initial request to bring the matter before the Planning Commission,
in the "Open Letter to the Citizens of Highland", in the description in the City Council Agenda "Amending the Highland City Municipal Code Section 5.04.170 Hours of Operation
removing the restriction regarding days of operation. While the language does, in fact, state the purpose of the change it would have been much more open and transparent if the language made reference to Sunday Opening.
Please forward this e-mail to all who have an interest in being part of the governing process and urge them to attend the Tuesday City Council Meeting/Public hearing.
Thanks,
Larry Mendenhall, Highland Resident
larrym30@msn.com
801-372-5544
