There has been some chatter about the reappointment of North-ender Sue McCall not being granted another term on the City’s Planning Commission.  It's SPicy’s opinion that Ms. McCall should wear this denial as a badge of honor.  She dutifully supported the election of David Haas and lost.  She stood her ground, picked the long shot and thought what she was doing was right for the city.

It will not be long before Council Member Lee Helgen starts claiming credit for the many efforts that have been spearheaded by Ms. McCall. SPicy has been no great defender of Lee Helgen, but politics is, well politics.

It cannot be said that Mayors don’t pick their allies to serve on different City Boards and Commissions. It is also within the power of the council to deny the appointments.

Its been happening for years.  In the last decade Mayor Norm Coleman was trying to appoint Rich Wolfgramm and Hal Fotsch to the Heritage Preservation Commission after the St.Paul Cos. Expansion effort was tubed to preserve the Coney Island Grill, mmm.  SPicy remembers going there as a teenager.

(Side note to the Arvanitis’ –it was written in the Pioneer Press that the Coney Island is one of the top prospects for reopening in Saint Paul, SPicy and SPousy would love to bring the grand-kids!)

Then Council Member Jay Benanav’s secretary was one Ella Thayer.  Her opposition was so convincing to her boss that the appointments were held up for a long time, and Rich Wolfgramm, an architect nonetheless, was removed from consideration.  The result, St. Paul Cos. is now Traveler’s and their presence in Saint Paul is always under threat of disappearing.  Despite committing to re-opening once the MN Wild had their first game at the Xcel Energy Center in 2000, the number of days that the Coney Island has been opened since, Zero.

When Mayor Coleman took over from Randy Kelly, one of the first issues that Coleman had to display leadership on was the Holman Field Levy.  The Planning Commission had the chance to be the final vote on the matter, if the plan was denied neither the Council or the Mayor would have to deal with it.  The Mayor and his staff members lobbied hard against the flood wall.  Several Planning Commissioners were up for reappointment, after the Mayors efforts were defeated, four of the members up for reappointment were replaced.  According to City Hall Scoop they were Christine Lonetti, Matt Anfang, Dan Scott and Matt Mejia.  They were replaced by several members who are so anti development, the Mayor had to extend considerable effort for them to vote in favor for something as simple as a Trader Joe’s.  Another result, despite the Mayor’s office efforts to kill the Flood wall, the Mayor’s Mid-term Report cites the building of the very same wall as one of his major accomplishments.

Another political move happened about a month ago.  The CIB committee, which has been run under Chair Unger for years, was poised for re-election as chair on at a Monday meeting.  Unger, a Kelly appointee had just enough votes to retain his chairmanship, and the Mayor’s Office knew it.  New CIB appointees were due for ratification by the Council on the Wednesday meeting after Unger’s re-election attempt on the CIB.  In a more unprecedented move, the Mayor’s Office pushed the council to bring in new CIB appointments under suspension 1 week early.  The result, Coleman’s appointees now control the CIB Committee and process.

Finally the Sue McCall flap. 

While it will always be debatable whether those on any commission or board actually represent the best and brightest the city has to offer, it's politics, get over it.  If any of you reading this were in Mr. Helgen’s position, you would have done the same thing. If you want to be in that position, run for office.