Time of change for city

City Commission worksession may not be all that interesting tomorrow night, except that they may interview candidates for interim city manager in executive session (non public meeting). Nothing illegal about executive sessions, and sometimes it is probably a good thing. I just want to point it out when they do it ...
The deeper issue of course is what the city commission is doing. They will be giving current City manager Steve Archer $33 grand plus other bennies in exchange for his resignation. This is in essence four months pay. During those four months the city will be paying another salary for an interim and possibly a new city manager.
The search for a new city manager will take time and money too.
We are probably looking at at least $50,000 to make this change...
Only time will tell if it is worth it.

Three city commissioners will be up for re-election in April. Deadline for applying for the race is Jan 25. at noon. The filing fee is $10. There is cost involved in running a campaign, but I suppose one could spend as much or as little as he or she wanted.
I am still thinking of running. If i did, i would have to quit the blog.
But I would like to encourage other people to run as well.
Public discourse is a good thing. The election campaign is about that.
We need vision... direction.
With the current political landscape of incumbents being unpopular in general and with the state of flux the city is in .. i think now is an excellent time for someone new to the process to run...

Worksession is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and regular meeting is Tuesday at 7.
Say what you like about the commission, but they do welcome people at the meetings. They will let you talk even. Ive been around a lot of commissions in different states. I would have to say that the commission here is as open as any i have seen as far as letting the public speak at meetings.
Their rule that it has to be something not on the agenda does seem a bit odd, but ... if you are paying attention to the issues, there is a time when things are being discussed but not yet on the agenda, so there would be the opportunity.
Hope to have the live blog going Thursday at 5:30..

Healing and prayer

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16

The Blessing Heights church of Arkansas City will be having a healing and prayer service at Wilson Park today at 6:30 p.m. They held one about a month ago and it went well.
This is always a controversial issue - prayer or healing.
Prayer is powerful though. But it is not magic. It is not a way of "making" God do what you want. We don't always see the whole picture so we think God isn't listening when we don't get what we ask for.
Also sometimes in certain religious circles people are led to believe it is their fault if they are not healed. Because they dont have enough faith.
I think it is good that a church is doing something like this publicly. One thing Arkansas City needs - maybe the biggest thing - is a spiritual healing.
It is a positive witness to the community.
Im going to go. See you all there?