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Dave Dolter, Seeno Project Manager, & Council Pay |
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Copyright © 2001 by Dave Badtke |
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Two weeks ago, in “EIR Inadequacy”, with metaphors soaring, I likened the community planning process to the design of an airplane, and asked: “Would you feel safe flying in an airplane if you knew that it had been designed and tested using a process like ours, that there had been no discussion, no real exchange of ideas, that the project manager, if he could even be identified, seemed to lack vision, that the plane seemed pilotless?” A couple days later I received an email from Dave Dolter which included the comment: “Indeed the project manager CAN be identified... it's me,” adding that if I wanted, we could get together and talk. Of course I wanted to meet him, I said, and we agreed on a time. I arrived late at Wolves—a nasty affliction I have, kind of like my allergy to mold spores that I can’t seem to shake, there being nothing at all fashionable about sneezing or making people wait—and I was immediately struck by Mr. Dolter’s hair. I’ve previously alluded to the bifurcation of older men into those for whom hair improves with age, well represented by the likes of Presidents Reagan and Clinton, and that other group, the one to which Mr. Dolter and I belong, which races headlong to copy the bald pate of President Ford. I felt empathy and liked his sense of humor. When I suggested we meet In the Company of Wolves, he said that the name seemed appropriate for a meeting with the fourth estate. Mr. Dolter is married, the father of two grown children, and has a 4-year-old grandson. He has extensive city and development experience. From 1974 to 1981 he was Planning Director of Coronado, Assistant and Interim City Manager of Santa Monica, and, during the last four years of this period, City Manager of Redondo Beach. He moved to Moraga 18 years ago, where he was on the Planning Commission, and eight years ago he moved to Alamo. He has worked as a Development Director for various companies, was co-owner and executive director of The Remington Group of Companies, a residential developer, and during the past 18 months has been Project Manager of the Seeno Companies. He’s the person in charge of the proposed Benicia Business Park proposal. Should the Seeno project be approved, he’s going to spend a lot of time in Benicia, because, as he said when I asked him about his level of commitment to the project and Benicia, project management at Seeno is “cradle-to-grave.” Explaining the role of a high-tech project manager as a project proselytizer as well as an organizer and manager, I asked him if he didn’t think it was a good idea to be out in the public more, telling us about the project. He said that he dealt with city government, not with the public, and that it was the city government’s role to ensure that the public was involved in the process. While acknowledging that this is the unfortunate way the process works (see prior columns “Council Visits” and “Meeting Virus” at www.CarquinezReview.com), I expressed my wish that the process could be more flexible and interactive, which might demand even more time from Council. Since I firmly believe that the person you know is more easily understood and appreciated than the person you don’t, who is more easily disparaged and dismissed, I asked Mr. Dolter if he’d be willing to meet the public in some moderated way, so that we could get to know him. He thought he might, he said, if the ground rules for such an interaction were well understood. As our discussion ended, I asked Mr. Dolter how the planning process could be improved. He said that more public input and time might help some projects, though I countered with my belief that design by committee is a scary concept. Interestingly, we each seemed to be arguing the other’s point of view, perhaps the sign of a good discussion. Later, I read that the Council will consider today whether it should increase its pay by 37%, and at least one member has voiced opposition to the raise, saying that one does not become a council member for the money. Obviously, this is true. The current pay has been the same for the last ten years, $413 each month, though the mayor gets the huge sum of $551 per month. Rather than pinch pennies in the name of stoic commitment to community—I can bear the pain and serve the community, some seem to be saying, no matter how low the pay—might it not be better to reward Council members who increase community involvement in government. Might we not give Council members incentives to hold moderated public meetings. These meetings, unlike the current Council format, would encourage dialogue, not serial monologues. Hold a town meeting to introduce Dave Dolter to the community, get paid for your effort and time. Chair a discussion of the proposed train station, be rewarded with a stipend for making the event happen and for working with the community to increase the probability of success. Workers in the private sector are frequently rewarded when they increase profits. Council members could be similarly rewarded for increasing community participation in government. Pay for performance is what I’m talking about, and if the idea runs counter to the city charter, change the charter. |
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- Dave Badtke can be contacted at: www.CarquinezReview.com; Dave@Badtke.com; PO Box 763, Benicia, CA 94510; or by calling 707-745-5540.
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