DEMAND transparent government!  I, along with many citizens, were SHOCKED to find out that Corey Stewart, as the Chairman who controls the Agenda, would attempt to circumvent open democracy and put Avendale on the 2 p.m. agenda today.  Additionally, John Stirrup is out town, so the fate of the Rural Crescent relies on Mike May, Maureen Caddigan, and Frank Principi.  Please, e-mail these supervisors and ask them to vote against any last minute addition to the Agenda and stand up for transparent democracy!  Corey needs a majority vote to allow Avendale on the agenda for today.

Citizens are sending in e-mails, please, write one and send it in by 1:00 this afternoon! 

[email protected]

Brentsville: Wally Covington[email protected]
Coles: Marty Nohe[email protected]
Dumfries: Maureen Caddigan[email protected]
Gainesville: John Stirrup[email protected]
Neabsco: John Jenkins[email protected]
Occoquan: Mike May [email protected]
Woodbridge: Frank Principi[email protected]

106 Thoughts to “Stewart Attempting Last Minute Agenda Change Today on Avendale?”

  1. Mom

    If they attempt this during the afternoon session I would guess that the die has already been cast and that Corey, Wally, Marty and Jenkins will prevail 4-3. If that’s the case then its probably time to get downright ugly. Perhaps someone might announce their intent to challenge for the GOP nomination for Chairman during the evening session’s citizen time.

  2. Alanna

    Where is Supervisor Stirrup? And why does he miss so many meetings? Even when he’s there he’s not in his seat. This seems intentionally deceitful and shady on the part of Stewart.

  3. WE

    Perhaps Stirrup wants it this way? That way he can throw Corey a bone and not have to go on the record as voting for or against it.

  4. Lafayette

    I understand a meeting or two may be missed due to extreme circumstances and the full time job. However, these people were elected to REPRESENT us. How can we be represented when our representation is absent several times a year?

    Mom, will you be declaring you candidacy tonight? 🙂 I have to ask because you’ve mentioned this possibiliity before.

  5. Pat.Herve

    and what happened to having the infrastructure in place before approving more houses. I do hope they are not trying to do this, in this fashion.

  6. Here’s what I got from himL

    Katherine,

    Thank you for your e-mail. I agree with you that citizens should receive adequate notice before the Board of County Supervisors vote on important matters. As such, in my role as Chairman, I will not allow Avendale to be voted upon today. Additionally, if the Avendale proposal comes back up for a vote, I will make sure that it is placed on the agenda and available for the public to view. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

    –Corey

    Corey A. Stewart

    Chairman

    Prince William Board of County Supervisors

    1 County Complex Court

    Prince William, VA 22192

    (703) 792-4640 – Telephone/(703) 792-4637 – Fax

    [email protected]

    http://www.co.prince-william.va.us

    ——————————————————————————–

    From: Katherine Gotthardt [mailto:[email protected]]
    Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 7:40 AM
    To: Caddigan, Maureen S.; Principi, Frank J.; May, Michael C.; Gainesville District; Nohe, Marty E.; Covington, W. S. Wally; Stewart, Corey A.; Jenkins, John D.
    Subject: Do not approve Avendale; do not vote on issues without giving public notice
    Importance: High

    Dear Members of the BOCS:

    Please do not approve Avendale.

    And please review the way this issue is being handled: the public has not been given proper notice in order to voice concerns. Yet, the BOCS apparently plans to make a decision at today’s meeting.

    Why would the board want to take a vote on an item which isn’t on the agenda or available for the public to review? It goes against every aspect of transparency, especially since the vote concerns land use.

    We have overcrowded schools. We want to protect the rural crescent. Avendale makes both of these problems worse.

    The suggested Linton Hall policy wording does not go far enough because it does not address capacity which is crucial to solving the problem.

    Please keep the rural crescent line where it currently stands and DO NOT approve Avendale.

    Please do not schedule votes on large land use issues without giving the public any notice.

    We want to keep the process at the Board of Supervisor’s meetings transparent which makes for good government that serves the public.

    Thank you.

    Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
    12332 Darton Woods Loop

    Bristow VA 20136

    http://www.PoemsfromtheBattlefield.com

  7. I received this from Stewart at 12:51

    Katherine,

    Thank you for your e-mail. I agree with you that citizens should receive adequate notice before the Board of County Supervisors vote on important matters. As such, in my role as Chairman, I will not allow Avendale to be voted upon today. Additionally, if the Avendale proposal comes back up for a vote, I will make sure that it is placed on the agenda and available for the public to view. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

    –Corey

    Corey A. Stewart

    Chairman

    Prince William Board of County Supervisors

    1 County Complex Court

    Prince William, VA 22192

    (703) 792-4640 – Telephone/(703) 792-4637 – Fax

    ——————————————————————————–

    From: Katherine Gotthardt
    Subject: Do not approve Avendale; do not vote on issues without giving public notice
    Importance: High

    Dear Members of the BOCS:

    Please do not approve Avendale.

    And please review the way this issue is being handled: the public has not been given proper notice in order to voice concerns. Yet, the BOCS apparently plans to make a decision at today’s meeting.

    Why would the board want to take a vote on an item which isn’t on the agenda or available for the public to review? It goes against every aspect of transparency, especially since the vote concerns land use.

    We have overcrowded schools. We want to protect the rural crescent. Avendale makes both of these problems worse.

    The suggested Linton Hall policy wording does not go far enough because it does not address capacity which is crucial to solving the problem.

    Please keep the rural crescent line where it currently stands and DO NOT approve Avendale.

    Please do not schedule votes on large land use issues without giving the public any notice.

    We want to keep the process at the Board of Supervisor’s meetings transparent which makes for good government that serves the public.

    Thank you.

    Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
    12332 Darton Woods Loop

    Bristow VA 20136

  8. Elena

    Thanks for the update Katherine. I guess we’ll see what, if anything, happens today. I think that Corey was not expecting the deluge of outrage that the Supervisors have been inundated with today. Great job citizens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. We have some great people working towards conservation in this area. YAY!!!!

  10. I am so confused. I leave the building for a while and I come back to see all hell has broken loose.

    I don’t see anything on the agenda that indicates a change.

    What am I missing. Parallel universe time here.

  11. Elena he should have expected it. There were about 70 speakers at the last BOCS speaking out one way or the other over this.

    Why does Supervisor Stirrup miss so many meetings? If one can’t attend most meetings, perhaps it isn’t their time to serve the county.

  12. Elena

    it isn’t on the agenda but apparently Corey was PLANNING attempting to put it ON the agenda at 2 pm. today, someone foiled his plan.

  13. Mom

    If I had to guess he probably saw an opportunity in the naming of the new County Exec. He could have moved to suspend the rules so that they could add the appointment to the session and once suspended, all ordinary processes could have been dispensed with.

  14. Need to Know

    Do we know that Corey was plotting to put Avendale on the agenda today and that this is not just a rumor spreading around? It’s hard for me to believe that he would be that stupid. Such a move would end his political career. He would get developer money but be less electable than Connaughton. Connaughton is widely despised among those who support transparent government that operates in the best interests of the community. This move would put Corey on a lower level than that.

  15. Elena

    Need to know,
    Yes, from extremely reliable sources, he was planning this move. I believe the intended “carrot” was this hollow resolution being offered.

  16. Need to Know

    Sorry, but I thought I could rest from Avendale for a while and wasn’t keeping track. Was this resolution to be a farce like Covington’s “moratorium”? I saved the news reports on that one that even quote Covington saying his resolution was merely “symbolic.”

  17. Poor Richard

    See the Dark Screen also doesn’t like Avendale – he calls it
    “a stimulous program for illegal aliens”.

    This is starting to make for some strange bedfellows.

  18. Very strange indeed.

    I do believe the Anti dislike of the idea takes the higher road.

    Stimulous program for illegal aliens? 🙄

    He is obsessing again. There is help for that.

  19. Poor Richard :

    “a stimulous program for illegal aliens”.

    LMAO! WTF?

  20. Poor Richard

    Brookfield Homes has a “record of hiring illegals” according to the
    Dark Screen (assume Brookfield is a key player with Avendale).

    Avendale approval = Brookfield Homes = illegal alien jobs/stimulus?

  21. Elena

    whatever, how does Greg know? I refuse to live my life making decision based on what “facts” Greg does, or does not, conjure up in his head.

  22. Need to Know

    Brookfield Homes is the California-based developer who bought the Avendale land a few years ago. They have hired Mike Lubeley and his firm to represent them in their efforts to get PWC to pass a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning that would allow them to build four houses per acre rather than one house per ten acres.

    Regardless of the immigration status of the workers in the construction industry, they are underpaid; often in cash with no benefits. Brookfield Homes, as most other developers, lacks a record of verifying the immigration status of employees and their eligibility to work in the United States. This opens those workers to exploitation. In addition, it undercuts the ability of those legally eligible to work in the United States (both those born here and immigrants) to secure a living wage and decent benefits for their work.

    If the CPA and rezoning are approved, how about including proffers that all employees are paid the minimum wage (no cash payments), their FICA is paid, and they receive health insurance? This requirement would include all contractors and sub-contractors. That move would create an even playing field for all of the workers. It would also relieve the pressure on our emergency rooms from underpaid construction workers with no health insurance, whose medical services are ultimately paid by us.

  23. Poor Richard

    Always interesting to an “outlander” when BVBL and AntiBVBL
    take the same side on an issue, even if for apparently very
    different reasons.

    Avendale may not be DOA, but it has a very weak pulse.
    Even the famous Dr. Lubely may not be able to save it.

  24. Avendale probably has lots of other irons in the fire. They will just move right on down the line with their requests.

    Does anyone ever wonder what our county would look like if Disney had gone in rather than the thousands of houses we got instead?

  25. Poor Richard

    Just saw on the MJM website that PWC has cancelled the annoucement
    of the new exec. until a “later date”. Humm.

  26. BigBrain

    Patty from BVBL is having trouble understanding what happened.

    Michelle Trenum, the wife of School Board Member Gil Trenum from the Nokesville District sent out this email.
    http://www.antibvbl.net/index.php/2010/01/18/bocs-meeting-11910/#comment-71822

    Accusing Michelle Trenum of being the source of ‘a rumor’ isn’t too smart.

  27. Poor Richard

    There were a number of independent studies of the proposed
    Disney project and they all said Disney was a first rate company
    with a vested interested in keeping their projects clean and
    attractive for their guest. The unknown was what PWC would
    allow around it. Miles of tawdy souvenier stores? PWC had a
    bad rep for over-built junky roadsides.

    We might have had a major tourist attraction and great loal job
    source, especially for college students in the summer.

  28. Black Velvet Reporter

    I see my dark screen counterpart has already put spin on rumor starting. Apparently the other reporter cannot read. BOCS Meeting 1/19/10 thread has a letter that spells it all out. Quit speculating. Just read it. Tell the other mouth that roared to learn to read also.

    Isn’t she one of your own?

  29. @BigBrain
    Oooooooh, you don’t want to go down THAT road, Patty! If there is someone I trust, it’s Michelle. She does her homework and has credible connections.

  30. hello

    so is there any hard evidence to this rumor other than what Elena has heard from “reliable sources”?

  31. The fact is, Mr. Stewart didn’t say in his email that he never intended to put Avendale to vote today. He didn’t deny that he was planning to have the BOCS vote on it. He said he wouldn’t do it. Read the email he sent out: “As such, in my role as Chairman, I will not allow Avendale to be voted upon today.”

  32. Juturna

    I would have to agree that Mr. Stewart would not try to force such a contentious issue issue on the agenda for a VOTE. He is not that foolish. The backlash, as someone mentioned, could be a career ender. For the SECOND time today, I am defending Mr. Stewart. Gee- the times they are a’changin. Seriously though, does anyone besides me see a change in his attitude. He complimented county staff!!!! That alone is huge. Although from what I hear that is the role (the PR stuff) he wanted that was snatched up by Gerhart. Hmmmmmmm…….. Guess I will stay tuned.

  33. Hello, go read the email on BOCS Meeting 1/19/10. The email is there for you to read.

    Comment #9

  34. He was pretty attentive in his response to the emails. Something to be said for that.

  35. Juturna

    I think that the best thing about Disney History Park would be the increase in the number of Americans that would be able to place the occurance of WWI and the Civil War in the correct century.

  36. Elena

    Juturna,
    Corey was not that foolish because he was caught before he tried to attempt it. The scenerio was probably going to go something like this:

    resolution about schools tied to avendale vote. Maureen was the “target” I will bet, the hope was to get her on schools and Avendale may pass.

  37. Juturna

    Well, we will have to agree to disagree. I am pretty convinced that he would not do that. 18 months ago I would have said something different.

  38. Alanna

    Hello,
    The original email came from Michelle Trenum, who wrote that she was called by ‘a Supervisor.’ She did not specifiy which Supervisor but a reasonable assumption would be Maureen Caddigan. Also, the notion that this was ‘a rumor’ is dispelled by Chairman Stewart’s statement at the Supervisors’ Meeting.

  39. I think I will make today a red letter day and defend Corey along with Juturna. Let’s face it, if he wanted to pull something sneaky, he could have done it anyway. If 100 pissed off citizens stormed the McCoart Building, what could they do about him putting that Avendale issue to a vote.

  40. Juturna

    Well, I am disappointed that this supervisor would not have the courage to take this on in public at a meeting rather than hiding behind consituants. I find that irresponsible. There is nothing wrong with the Supervisor contacting folks but that Supervisor should make themselves known. That’s why they are elected.

  41. Elena

    The real issue is not the unknown supervisor, but Corey, lets not deflect from who is ultimately behind what would have been a pretty despicable tactic.

    The boggling aspect of this issue is that CLEARLY it was going to be a losing situation for Corey. I don’t know WHAT he was hoping to gain by pulling this stunt. But the issue is about Corey, NOT that a supervisor gave a heads up to citizens what he was planning on doing at the 2 pm meeting.

    What Corey “attempted to do” was indefensible, not sure how anyone can get around that fact.

    Were it NOT for Corey wanting Avendale deferred, it would have gone down as a denial vote last Tuesday night. If no one has learned anything from the last five years, we really are screwed as a county and people better start opening their wallets up even more in the near future.

  42. Elena

    Juturna,
    What has happend in the last 18 months that has changed your mind about Corey?

  43. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Mary Jo Kopechne…….tonight is for you, babe!!

  44. hello

    Thanks for the clarification Alanna, good to see Corey didn’t go that route…

    Congrats to Scott Brown!!

  45. Slowpoke, that is just weird. Why bring her up.

    At least Scott Brown is a total hunk. Imagine, a centerfold as one of our senators. How thoroughly modern of the United States. I am just glad Brown is a moderate Republican.

  46. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    @Moon-howler

    Why bring her up? Because the psych-ward left is messing their britches knowing a Republican won “Ted Kennedy’s” seat, and the bad news for Teddy-Boy is that nobody said being in Hell was fun. Having “your seat” won by a Republican is part of the torment.

  47. Gainesville Resident

    I think it is interesting that an anonymous supervisor started all this. It’s easy to be anonymous and start a rumor. No one has proven in this thread that it was anything but a rumor and may never have been true. Pretty nice backstabbing going on there among our supervisors. Someone could just have done that on purpose, when there wasn’t an ounce of truth in the whole rumor – “reliable sources” aside. I don’t see how one can take that Linton Hall statement and use it as proof of the rumor.

  48. Elena

    Gainesville,
    Unfortunately, that is the way local government seems to work. Don’t shoot the messenger is all I can say. Corey was planning something underhanded and it fell through because citizens reacted so strongly. Citizens got lucky this time.

  49. Gainesville Resident

    The thing is, I think there’s a good possibility the rumor had not even an ounce of truth to it. If that’s the case, it got people stirred up for nothing, and wasted a lot of everyone’s time.

  50. Gainesville Resident

    And, it is too bad that one supervisor would be anonymous in that way. It goes to show that supervisor isn’t a very honest person if they can’t come out and say who they are. Where’s the accountability? There isn’t any, and now we can’t go back and say to that supervisor – where were the facts to back up your “rumor”.

    It’s a pretty sad commentary on our local government, if you ask me.

Comments are closed.