Take care

I have been working on this post since Tuesday.  Well not exactly this particular piece. This is at least the fourth attempt to get it done.

See, I am not too old to learn new tricks.  You can in fact attempt to deal with an issue, over and over again, keep bringing in new twists, erase a line or two, add a phrase or two, cater to you preferred audience, and create an illusion of accomplishment in the end.

In the end though, no matter what you do, it is like wrapping a gift.  The pretty paper and bows will create a pretty scene, but sooner or later what will be remembered is not how the present looks, but what is inside the package.

No matter.  Not much seems to matter anymore.

Announce a public meeting for a specific purpose. Cancel it. Don't mention the fact in the cancellation notice you are going to reschedule the discussion five days latter, just slip it on the agenda.  

The only real decision I have seen made on the issue doesn't qualify as a decision. Doing something in a manner you are required to do it isn't a decision. It is an acknowledgment you have been spinning wheels for months.

When you have options to do something within that prescribed manner, well that is where you have decisions to make.

The town formed a study committee.  The study committee made a recommendation.  Either that study committee has changed the recommendation or it has been modified, and  apparently substantially; or, Tuesday's "decision" was to essentially ignore it.

The latest path will be an nonrestrictive RFP, or minimally restrictive RFP, or a RFP subject to negotiations with the successful bidder. Now if I were a bidder and awarded the bid, and then the "negotiations" after the award takes place begin, well we will see at that point just what kind of.

Simple fact, not going to be the committee's RFP. Thank you very much, however we are going to take another option. Kind of. Wink. Wink.

How much of the consultant's advice will be followed? You know the one the committee stated on Town Meeting floor it had to have in order to draft the RFP, will be followed, well that remains to be seen.

We are now going to explore options. Test the  market so to speak. We are going to see what we can hook. We are going to bait the hook with a special lure too. Throw it the old "Union Street". Throw in the land south of that.

At least I think we will. That seemed to be the "decision". Let's see what happens if we toss in vacant land worth up to how many hundreds of thousands of dollars?

What surprised me most on this whole matter is that if you are willing to sell off, oops potentially sell off, all that vacant land in order to attempt to preserve the outside appearance of the old building, what about an option "D"? Just the land. Take the proceeds and establish a building restoration fund.

Perhaps no one has thought of that, or perhaps no one wants to see that land developed. But it seems to me that if the bait is the land, whoever grabs the bait is going to want to do something with the land, right? Why else would you take the bait unless it was something you wanted?

I know, it is just an option.

So is just selling off the land. Wonder how many house lots you could Form A out of that parcel?

Not realistic.  Seems a parking lot would be preferable. Perhaps we can in fact actually hook a big fish into biting, take the land and negotiate open space, or nothing worse than a parking lot.

Anyway, we now have apparently shifted gears from committee recommendations and consultant recommendations, and our now taking new marketing advice.

You know, we all dream wistfully about what could have been and wishfully about what could be.

I will leave the wistful thoughts aside. Water down the drain.

Thinking wishfully, this is a time where I personally do wish I had enough money to respond to the RFP that seemingly will be put out. I could modify that wish to hope that some not for profit will do the same.  Maybe a private school perhaps.  I wish everyone gets exactly what they too wish for.

But that is of course not possible.

Of course, listening to the discussion Tuesday night some are advising and some are believing anything is possible.  I wish them all the luck in the world.  I truly do.

The benefit of experience is in hindsight.  In hindsight I have seen a number of these types of suggested RFPs. I have scratched my head a whole bunch.  Could be I am just jaded at this point in my existence. Could be just let it be.

Let it be may be the best option going forward.  For me.

Be safe. Not only for today.

And thanks for letting me hang around with you.