The democratic process -- especially at the city level -- can invoke a vast array of emotions. Take Tuesday's scene at Kansas City Hall, for example. Some will laugh. Some will react with frustration. Others will simply shake their head in disbelief.
We were up on the 25th floor on Tuesday afternoon, waiting for a petition to arrive. As we've detailed over past weeks, a group of former Bannister Mall merchants is trying to rescue the vacant building from demolition. There is a city-approved project in the works. It carries a nearly $1 billion price tag and is anchored by a Wizards stadium. The group, lead by outspoken Richard Tolbert, argues there is room for a new stadium and a renovated mall.
At about 4 p.m., the "Save the Mall" group arrived at the city clerk's office. We knew ahead of time Tolbert would be requesting a ten-day extension to finish gathering the remaining signatures (8,475 are needed to force a public vote). We, of course, were curious to see what kind of progress the group was making. City Clerk Millie Crossland informed them they needed to turn in some of its signatures to earn the extension. That's when Tolbert said, "Okay, we are turning in two." Crossland's expression was priceless.
Apparently, there is no minimum requirement to get the deadline extension (though Crossland thought there should be), meaning the group has ten days to gather the remaining 8,473 names. As we left the building to put together our 5 p.m. report, the group promised more signatures on February 1. I believe them. After all, there were FOUR "Save the Mall" members at City Hall!
Some say it's proof Tolbert and company are having a heckuva time rallying any support. Others wonder if they are simply refusing to show their hand until the last minute. Either way, I'll be tuning in for the encore.
