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Wagner: Martynick should go
Story has been posted to The Phoenix Files for your thoughts and comments:
Phoenixville Borough Council president requests resignation of planners’ vice-chair
By G.E. Lawrence
Special to The Phoenix
PHOENIXVILLE — Council President Henry Wagner has requested the resignation of the Planning Commission’s Vice-Chair, George Martynick, from that body.
The request followed Wagner’s assessment of Martynick’s role in the Commission’s reversal of its support of the pending Downtown Commercial (D-COMM) zoning district ordinance revisions, and was made in an e-mail to Martynick Saturday morning.
In remarks at the Commission’s Thursday evening session, Martynick, presiding in the absence of chair Deb Johnston, said that “the extension of the D-COMM district out to Nutt Road is under active consideration” by Council’s Ordinance Subcommittee, according to conversations he had held with Kendrick Buckwalter (R-West), the Subcommittee’s chair, and Subcommittee member Michael Hott.
“My argument,” Martynick said, “is that with the expansion, let’s send it [the current ordinance] back [to Council] and do it right.”
When Martynick’s remarks appeared in a report on the meeting in The Phoenix’s Saturday edition, Buckwalter sent an early-morning e-mail to Martynick. “I don’t recall a conversa
tion where I said the D-COMM Ordinance was under active consideration in the Ordinance Subcommittee,” Buckwalter wrote.
“We have had only one meeting with me as chair (April 16) at which time it had already been presented to Council and returned back to [the] Planning Commission,” Buckwalter continued. He sent copies of the e-mail to Hott and Wagner, attached copies of the April 16 meeting minutes, and noted that both Hott and Wagner had attended that Subcommittee meeting.
Reached for comment, Buckwalter said, “I’m on record as opposing [aspects of the ordinance], and maybe George misunderstood what I was saying in another conversation. But we [the Subcommittee] certainly didn’t discuss it.”
“For you to put forward a misrepresentation in order to garner support for a reversal on your original opinion,” Wagner wrote to Martynick, “demonstrates to me that you are not qualified to participate in the Planning Commission….
“In this, yet another incident, I cannot help but once again express my profound disappointment in your lack of professionalism,” Wagner told Martynick. “There is no room for those that use misrepresentation and their senior position and what is apparent political posturing in attempt to embarrass Council.
The “other incident” to which Wagner referred was Martynick’s public charges against colleague Commission member Father James Evans of a conflict of interest in discussions of the ordinance and in the Commission’s March vote. Wagner said then, “I am embarrassed that a body like the Commission” would have such charges discussed “on the Planning Commission floor. If a member has a concern about a question of ethics, file it with the state.”
Wagner concluded his Saturday e-mail to Martynick: “I am formally asking you to tender your resignation from the Planning Commission.”
“If I had misinterpreted my previous conversations with Ken and Mike,” Martynick wrote to Wagner, “I am truly sorry but the nature of that information was relegated to the background in light of the overwhelming need for a complete rewrite of the ordinance.
“I am not sure I fully understand the reasoning for your request,” he said. “There is no ‘embarrassing Council’ since no decision has been made yet by Council. We [the Commission] reconsidered our vote of which I was just one vote,” he wrote.
“Our original vote was taken 2 days after receiving the ordinance and with extended consideration (and studying), I came to the conclusion that we could really come up with a comprehensive and progressive ordinance… instead of patching some of the problems.
“Don’t denounce my actions because they appear to be unprofessional as written in the paper,” Martynick wrote.
Late Saturday Martynick said, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if Henry’s request is a request from the full Council or not. But if eight [Council members] feel that we shouldn’t come up with more progressive, incentive-based zoning [alternatives], so be it.”
Phoenixville Borough Council president requests resignation of planners’ vice-chair
By G.E. Lawrence
Special to The Phoenix
PHOENIXVILLE — Council President Henry Wagner has requested the resignation of the Planning Commission’s Vice-Chair, George Martynick, from that body.
The request followed Wagner’s assessment of Martynick’s role in the Commission’s reversal of its support of the pending Downtown Commercial (D-COMM) zoning district ordinance revisions, and was made in an e-mail to Martynick Saturday morning.
In remarks at the Commission’s Thursday evening session, Martynick, presiding in the absence of chair Deb Johnston, said that “the extension of the D-COMM district out to Nutt Road is under active consideration” by Council’s Ordinance Subcommittee, according to conversations he had held with Kendrick Buckwalter (R-West), the Subcommittee’s chair, and Subcommittee member Michael Hott.
“My argument,” Martynick said, “is that with the expansion, let’s send it [the current ordinance] back [to Council] and do it right.”
When Martynick’s remarks appeared in a report on the meeting in The Phoenix’s Saturday edition, Buckwalter sent an early-morning e-mail to Martynick. “I don’t recall a conversa
tion where I said the D-COMM Ordinance was under active consideration in the Ordinance Subcommittee,” Buckwalter wrote.
“We have had only one meeting with me as chair (April 16) at which time it had already been presented to Council and returned back to [the] Planning Commission,” Buckwalter continued. He sent copies of the e-mail to Hott and Wagner, attached copies of the April 16 meeting minutes, and noted that both Hott and Wagner had attended that Subcommittee meeting.
Reached for comment, Buckwalter said, “I’m on record as opposing [aspects of the ordinance], and maybe George misunderstood what I was saying in another conversation. But we [the Subcommittee] certainly didn’t discuss it.”
“For you to put forward a misrepresentation in order to garner support for a reversal on your original opinion,” Wagner wrote to Martynick, “demonstrates to me that you are not qualified to participate in the Planning Commission….
“In this, yet another incident, I cannot help but once again express my profound disappointment in your lack of professionalism,” Wagner told Martynick. “There is no room for those that use misrepresentation and their senior position and what is apparent political posturing in attempt to embarrass Council.
The “other incident” to which Wagner referred was Martynick’s public charges against colleague Commission member Father James Evans of a conflict of interest in discussions of the ordinance and in the Commission’s March vote. Wagner said then, “I am embarrassed that a body like the Commission” would have such charges discussed “on the Planning Commission floor. If a member has a concern about a question of ethics, file it with the state.”
Wagner concluded his Saturday e-mail to Martynick: “I am formally asking you to tender your resignation from the Planning Commission.”
“If I had misinterpreted my previous conversations with Ken and Mike,” Martynick wrote to Wagner, “I am truly sorry but the nature of that information was relegated to the background in light of the overwhelming need for a complete rewrite of the ordinance.
“I am not sure I fully understand the reasoning for your request,” he said. “There is no ‘embarrassing Council’ since no decision has been made yet by Council. We [the Commission] reconsidered our vote of which I was just one vote,” he wrote.
“Our original vote was taken 2 days after receiving the ordinance and with extended consideration (and studying), I came to the conclusion that we could really come up with a comprehensive and progressive ordinance… instead of patching some of the problems.
“Don’t denounce my actions because they appear to be unprofessional as written in the paper,” Martynick wrote.
Late Saturday Martynick said, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if Henry’s request is a request from the full Council or not. But if eight [Council members] feel that we shouldn’t come up with more progressive, incentive-based zoning [alternatives], so be it.”
posted by The Phoenix Files at
8:38 AM
12 Comments:
Frankly, I am embarrassed by the request of Mr. Wagner fro Mr. Martynick to resign. He is my Councilman and I do not feel that he is properly representing my interests. (I guess I will deal with that later, when he seeks reelection).
Ken Buckwalter even concurred that Mr. Martynick had probably misinterpreted conversation or mixed it up with another discussion. It was an human error and Mr. Martynick apologized for the misunderstanding. Mr. Martynick did not misuse his seniority or politics. All he did, it seems to me, is suggest that we start fresh and stop patching old mistakes. As I seem to be saying a lot lately, Phoenixville needs to review what it has, scrap it and write comprehensive plans and ordinances that are applicable to todays concerns. Mr. Martynick suggested to do just that.
Secondly, I am again angered by Mr. Wagner's suggestion that Mr. Martynick resign for speaking out on an ethics situation. Surely Mr. Wagner understands that ethics in government should be coupled with open-door policies. I did not attend the Planning meeting where Mr. Martynick berated Father Evans, but am releived that someone would bring those issues to the public floor in town rather than send a letter to the state only for them to request some written apology from Father Evans four months from now. Father Evans should have made his holdings and intentions known and I think Mr. Martynick, as well as the rest of town, should be just as angered by Father Evans' shadiness. Mr. Martynick only vocalized the problem. If there are such negative consequences for putting justice and rightness on the public table then I am moving out of this town! I for one support the whistleblowers.
Wagner should resign for breaking the law by NOT filing last years Financial Disclosure form and if he did so this year, he did so late. Demanding resignations from anyone is hypocritical from this guy. At least Martynick didn't break the law.
as Ms. Beaver states, a conversation was misinterpreted and was apologized for.
As for the earlier incident, an ethics consideration was raised and dealt with. Again, I agree with Ms. Beaver that it's far better to air these issues in public and deal with them. It's been dealt with in public, so now, it's time to move on.
It would be more helpful at this point to look at the D-Comm ordinance in detail. What is it and what are the questions surrounds it. Getting mired down in personalities (yet again!) serves no useful purpose whatsoever.
This "incident" is a tempest in a teapot -- let's move on to fully discuss the implications of the D-Comm District.
George, who do you think you are?
Why don't you just go along to get along?
Why don't you just stop thinking?
Why don't you keep your opinions to yourself?
Why don't you lock step with the powers that be and do what they want?
Why do you always want to do things the right way?
Why don't you stop trying to make Phoenixville pro-active and progressive?
Why don't you leave your conscience and idealism at home?
Why don't you play political games?
Why do you care about Phoenixville so much?
Why are you taking so much time from your family and your life to work for the best interest of our community?
Why don't you remember Charlie Berger?
George.
Remember why so many people respect and admire you.
Don't you DARE resign.
Some highlights of the new D-DCOMM ordinance:
Min Yard Width; old 50ft, new 25ft
Min Front Yard; old 15ft, new 0ft
Min Side Yard; old 6ft, new 0ft
Min Rear Yard; old 20ft, new 0ft
Max Bldg Coverage; old 60%, new 95%
Max Imperv Surface; old 75%, new 100%
Ken, by your hightlights it appears that the new requirements would allow for some postage stamp size yards and almost total coverage by buildings and allows for 100% coverage with macadam, concrete, etc.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
What the heck do developers want to build in the D-DCOMM district?
Why would we keep jamming things in there?
If I want to see concrete and macadam, I'll go to King of Prussia.
The sending of the request from Wagner to the 'newspaper' is uncalled for and unprofessional. Furthermore, it is also unprofessional for the 'newspaper' to publish excerpts from personal correspondence. I guess this is only to be expected from a second hand rag.
michelle beaver is a very unfortunate name. i'm just saying.
Michelle, Welcome to Phoenixville, it's politics and the loosers that must subject people with some assemblence of intelligence to name calling. YOU HAVE ARRIVED!
Honey, you spelled loser wrong. And "assemblance" is not a word. Why would you suggest that Ms. Beaver has only an "[as]semblance of intelligence" and not,say, an abundance like you, dick? Again, dear, you really should get yourself to a good doctor. The medicine can do wonders for cognitive dysfunction and your borderline disorder with narcissistic tendencies.
D-COMM district is going to allow for postage stamp stores. I used to collect stamps when I was young. I believe we can use a stamp store, or maybe a coin and stamps store.
I also remember when my mom saying about the time she came home and found my dad playing with a beaver in the backyard. I never understood how that lead to the divorce.
Sigh. Once again, these posts have deteriorated into nonsequitur drivel about stamp collecting, Mr. Breuer's alleged psychiatric disorders, divorce, and intriguing animals with flat tails and lustrous fur.
What is wrong with you people? Can't you see that these are serious matters which we need to take seriously? The very future of our town depends on it!
This is not a good day for Phoenixville. Even though I am a proud long-term resident, I am as embarrassed today as Miss Beaver was a couple of days ago....
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