Fighting City Hall

My task today was to get the "Notice of Public Hearing" application from the planning and zoning department based on the public notice published Sunday, June 3rd for the June 18th meeting. Here is what happened.

Visit #1 - Around 11 am
1. I asked Mary Porter in Planning and Zoning for an official copy of the item “re-affirming the zoning map” that was going to be discussed at the June 18th meeting. I also requested a disclosure form. Mary Porter told me that she didn’t have anything on that item. She said I should check with the city clerks office as the item came from the city attorney.

2. I then went to the City Clerks office to ask for a copy of it. The woman at the front desk said that Mary Porter would have the information. I, of course, told her that Mary Porter sent me to the city clerk’s office. I was then told that I would need to complete an open records act for the information and that Diana Threewit would be back after noon and that I could call her then.

Visit #2
I went back over to City Hall about 12:05. I spoke with Stephanie Harmon in Planning and Zoning. I asked her to sign the statement below, but she wouldn’t. She told me that she would get her supervisor. A few minutes later she said her supervisor would be right out. A few minutes later Stephanie told me that Mary Porter is the one who places the announcements in the paper and that she is handling this. She told me that Mary would be back at 12:30 and I could wait or come back. I told her that I would be back.

Visit #3
I went over to Planning and Zoning around 1pm. Mary Porter said there was no application because they weren’t changing anything, they were just renumbering the ordinances and making the map official. She said the City Clerks office placed the ad. Consequently she had nothing. She wouldn’t sign anything to that affect. However, she did say that I could buy a copy of the map that was going to be adopted. So, $25 later, I have another copy of the map. Mary did initial the map.

Here's what I tried to get signed.

I__________ am the _________in the City of Canton Planning and Zoning Department.On June 7, 2007 Mr. Jim Wilson asked to see the application to revise the zoning ordinance and readopt the official zoning map which is to be heard at a public hearing on June 18, 2007. No such application is on file this date in the Planning and Zoning Department.

By:____________________ Date: June 7, 2007



Who has read The Trial by Franz Kafka? The city does him proud!