Opolis: Town Hall IC

[Vienna Eliot]

Current Topic
Confirmation of the City Council

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OOC + Sign-Ups | General IC

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Welcome to the City Hall of Representatives.

This is where the representatives from each neighborhood in the city meet to discuss the issues that matter to them and their communities. Any representative can propose a new law. The city government functions in accordance with the charter, found below.

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Municipal Charter of Respite

We the people of Respite, to enshrine a sensible union of our divided neighborhoods, provide for the needs of the people of our city, fulfill the responsibilities of a government to it's citizens, and to secure liberty and prosperity, establish this Charter for the City of Respite.

Signatories:

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Section 1: Legislative

1. The Legislative Body of the City of Respite shall be the unicameral Hall of Representatives.
2. This hall shall be made up of individuals elected to represent recognized neighborhoods at large as constituencies, every year, using an STV ballot system.
3. The Hall of Representatives is responsible for it's internal proceedings, and may determine it's own standing rules and other processes.
4. The Hall of Representatives shall have exclusive right to draft and pass legislation into law.

Section 2: Executive

1. The Executive of the City of Respite shall be the City Council, headed by a Mayor.
2. The Mayor, elected by the city at large every year by STV ballot, shall draft a proposal City Council on their election to fulfill executive portfolios. The Hall of Representatives may then accept the Council, or with a simple majority can exercise a veto on the proposal, in which case the Mayor is expected to draft a new proposal.
3. Members of the City Council may exercise all executive authority over portfolios assigned to them, except in cases restricted by legislation passed by the Hall of Representatives.

Section 3: Judiciary

1. An independent commission of three members, the Judiciary Recognition Commission, shall be elected each year and shall be responsible for administrating the recognition and registration of adequately skilled practitioners of law.
2. Court vacancies shall be offered, by random lot, to members of this registry of meritorious lawyers.
3. There shall be three courts of law in the Judiciary of Respite. They shall be as follows, in ascending order of their precedence of rulings:
   3a. Small Court; first resort for cases involving monetary value of less than $5,000, or other minor legal disputes.
   3b. General Court; first resort for cases that are not handled in Small Court.
   3c. Supreme Court; last resort for cases not otherwise settled. Only court with the right to make rulings on constitutionality and other matters of the legality of legislation or executive actions.

Section 4: Amendments

1. Amendments to this charter may be proposed and voted on like normal legislation in the Hall of Representatives.
2. Should a charter amendment pass the Hall of Representatives, it will be put to public referendum.
3. On the success of a referendum on amending the charter, the amendment is considered made.

[Vienna Eliot]

Vienna fumbled around with an enormous handful of keys outside the old Town Hall building.

"You sure you don't want some help, V?" somebody called from the crowd.

"No, nope, I've got it," he shouted, trying another key in the door's lock. It didn't fit at all, and an audible sigh could be heard from the crowd waiting to go in. The sun had just set, and the meeting was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago. By the looks of it, everyone had certainly gotten the notice — each neighborhood had posters plastered around it calling for a neighborhood meeting to elect one representative to send to this citywide meeting. It had been in the works for a weeks. Now if only they could get into the building...

"Ah, got it!" cried Vienna, and the big wooden door swung open. "Let me just find the light," he said, and went in. He flipped a switch and the lights snapped on, buzzing, illuminating a renovated chapel or lobby or something. "Come on in, folks," Vienna said as he approached the podium.

"Okay, everybody," he said, as people still shuffled into the room. "Now, I'm not sure if you guys have brought charters you want to propose, or if y'all wanted to discuss it, but tonight we'd like to at least get started on some kind of charter for our city. Ah, and a name, too. So, uh—" Vienna thumbed through the pages of an old, dusty book on the podium. "Is there any discussion?"

[Klomania 2]

The door slams open as Jacobus Conlard makes a loud, terrific entry into the Town Hall. He however, after a moment to calm himself down, seats himself upon his seat in the Town Hall.

"A city is usually named after a local phenomenon, an important element of our culture, some geographic feature... or perhaps the very person that helped shape the city to become what it is today.", he exclaims as he begins his speech. "In 1878, there was a powerful railroad tycoon, and you may have heard of him. Francis Montgomery, ruler of the rails, boss of the Montgomery & Sons Railroad Company. At first, he founded a maintenance yard. Then a train station. Then a settlement began around said station, where its citizens welcomed Mr. Montgomery as a businessman that allowed them to seek the dreams of the frontier. Soon enough, due to the scope of his company, other railroads have come to this town to intersect, feeding this town further. He eventually built his HQ here, next to the very station that still stands to this day..." Conlord pauses for effect as his eyes begin to tear.

"He was a great man."

"When the highways started to replace the railways, the settlement was significant enough to not be sentenced to a slow, grueling death by the lack of traffic through the area. By then it had too much industry to just be ignored, so the nation built highways to service this town. Every neighborhood, even the more affluent neighborhoods...." He then looks upon Ernest Everett, Vienna Eilot, and Amy Kander, the representatives from the more affluent neighborhoods of Canton, Flatgorge, and Lower Anderson, "...relied and still relies on the bustling economic powerhouse and transit hub that is Montgomery Hill to even survive."

He recomposes himself to deliver his request for the name of the new centralized city, and looks straight at Vienna Eilot.

"Therefore, to honor the very opportunity that Francis Montgomery's railroad company has brought upon for all of us to even be standing here in the first place, I propose that the new united city should be christened with his last name. The City of Montgomery."

[Zjaum]

Everett walked into the room bumbling through his notes. The neighborhood had relied upon him for a great many things, most of them trivial. The neighborhood's societies had sent him a list of things, and he'd asked around for additional recommendations and requests. It was... it had been a long week for Ernest, but he finally compiled a list of must-address topics, according to his constituents:

• Do something about the prospective Walmart located near us. Whatever you have to do to shut it down.
• Funding for the country club. Nobody comes anymore, and revenue isn't coming in like it used to. Advertise if necessary, but we won't just let anyone and everyone in.
• Build a gym and/or a coffee shop for the newcomers.
• Mollify the crowded parking situation. Encourage bikes, maybe?
• Enforce pet maintenance and noise control in the area.

This was followed by a further several dozen trivial requests. Regardless, this was his duty as a concerned citizen, and so these were the topics he would bring up.

He was still looking through his papers when Conlard barged in. As Conlard made his impassioned speech, Ernest slowly gave more of his attention to this first point of discussion: not because of Conlard's boldness but because Everett had finished reviewing his notes. The blundering buffoon could boast all he wanted about his beloved Francis Montgomery, but one man does not a city make. That, and Montgomery seemed so unoriginal.

"I would like to point out, if it so pleases the council, that before we were into railroads we were into granite. After we were into railroads, we were into metalworks. After that, information technology and hardware. Montgomery's handiwork was just a short chapter in the region's history. As much as your neighborhood... well, worships him, apparently, I think our town needs a more all-encompassing name." He paused. "To that end, I wish to present the name Respite for consideration, owing to a quote from one of the city's first settlers: 'I do believe that this place shall be my respite, the place that shall console me for the rest of my life.' I believe this reflects the sentiment of the people of this new town better than the current alternative."

[Bruke]

Donald Gilchrist walked into City Hall with all the determination of a man on a singular mission.

"I'd personally want to name the city Carrie, after Giles Carrie, the man who so long ago settled my area, which is home to our great city's largest port. I'd dare say Carriesburg is one of the oldest neighborhoods in this city, and so it would only be right to name the city accordingly. But that's just a preference, Respite seems like a fine name. Now that I've got that out of the way...... let's work on the charter already so we can move forward with city business."

Of course, by city business he meant a plan of action to save his struggling neighborhood from the brink of collapse.

[The Miaphysite Church of Coptic Archism]

Wyatt Combs finished a cigarette and sighed, before entering the hall. He sat down quietly, listening to the representatives debate a name for the city. Wyatt, to be blunt, did not see this as the best use of any of their time. By day, he was a sanitation worker. He had only put his name forwards to represent Scarrige because the sanitation union wanted one of their own among the representatives. Scarrige held the only waste management facility in the city with anywhere near enough capacity to service the many neighborhoods, but the union was not eager to work for the city before it was certain that fair wages could be paid. As the discussion continued, Wyatt nodded and spoke up. "Respite. Good a name as any."

[Likar]

Mohhumad Akbir would also walk into the building, worried. He is part of the Likari Congo, a more poor side of the city filled with factories, and armed criminals. He was known to have a big Cuban cigar in his mouth. He wants to discuss the following:

Improving the failing economic situation (highest issue)
Working on expanding jobs
Increasing the budget for the police force, from unarmed, to armed
End worker strikes
Lower pollution rates (lowest issue)

"We, the Likari Congo, would first demand a expansion of jobs in the district, and the arming of police officers. We would also like 7 million dollars in aid to improve working conditions."

[Zjaum]

Ernest’s response was a gut reaction. “Seven million dollars?! We’re a town of 5,000, give or take. How the heck are we going to come up with... Look, we can probably deal with the jobs and police issues, but let’s get the naming issue done first. I personally wanted a seal and a flag for our hamlet, but that can always be commissioned, and it looks like we each have more important things to work on. Let’s put it to a vote now. If you have another name you’d like to present, announce it as we vote. Then people can change their votes as they’d like. My vote goes to the name ‘Respite,’ as I am the man who introduced it.”

[Helowi]

Amy Kander listened to Ernest’s response. She also had listened to the other councils concerns about what they wanted. She had sighed quietly, and looked down at a photo of her daughter and her two grandchildren, aged 2 & 4. She had then looked down at her list of demands

* Get rid of the Robert E. Lee statue in the local Greenway Park.
* Provide free transportation for Seniors In the neighborhood
* Open up a community garden in a nearby open lot in an attempt to make seniors more active
* Recieve funding for a nearby hospital
* Introduce vote on council leader

While she wanted to introduce her own ideas, she decided to wait her turn. “On the name of the town, I Second the idea of Carrie, it references the people of the town and the rich history of this town itself.”

[Likar]

"Every day, at least 2 shots are fired. The factory conditions are as bad as some 3rd world country!"

[Alozia]

Joseph Caldwell III, an elderly man dressed in an old, brown, patched-up suitwith an old-fashioned tie and somewhat tired brown shoes made it to the newly designated town hall a couple of minutes earlier. Having arrived here by bike did not seem to be worried about the possibility of someone stealing his unsecured bike, which he left leaning on one of the walls of the town's main building. Before he took a seat he greeted those present with a quiet "Good mornin' ".

When he sat down he pulled out a sheet of paper with his neighbours' requests and expectations.

* Provide financial aid to Acreborough's farmer community.
* Protect farmers with a long history of local landownership.
* Establish a corruption-proof city administration.
* Build an extensive system of bike lanes across the city.

After looking at the paper Joseph rose to speak. "When it comes to the town's name I believe we should stay away from the names of rich businessmen or popular figures, aimin' for a name relevant to all of us instead."

[Danceria]

Fyodor Sevelev, was arguably the youngest person here. An attractive, just out of college face with a well groomed crew-cut of blond hair. Like Coombs, he was a union man, electrician in fact, which helped his work as one of the City's colleges as a robotics engineer. Coombs, being the only one he recognized amidst all the others, simply due to the Syndicate Meetup that occurred a few weeks back. Almost every industry that had a union went to the potluck, often advertising apprenticeship programs and working with other businesses. However, a glaring issue was education, infrastructure, and modernization. With Scarriage being the only one with a waste facility big enough for the metropolis, and many locals proposing or protesting the notion of having to give up there newly gained image of a prosperous neighborhood so some layabouts didn't have clogged toilets, didn't sit well.

The reason he was selected, rather than his father, was due to his fresh and charismatic face, a mix between the working-man and the erudite elite. However, with Akbir's proposal, he laughed most unprofessionally. "With Seven Million, I'd revitalize the old waste facility, or build a new one and give the workers a decent wage. Besides," the young man gestured to the cigar. "Cuban imports don't exactly come cheap."

He turned to Mr. Conlard, "Respite is what we'll need before this day's over. If the folk of Montgomery Hills have an inkling of the ambition that it's namesake had, or the sweat and toil of those who worked under him, then I'm sure you would understand the need for a revitalized infrastructure." he paused then went to address the rest of the representatives. "Regardless of our own opinions of each other, or how proud we are of our respective boroughs...one man does not a city make. Neither does one neighborhood. Without an easy and proper commute, we cannot provide for our families, keep our city safe, enjoy all that this city has to offer. But the first and second points are what I mean to embellish upon."

"Each of us were separate neighborhoods, relying upon volunteer neighborhood watches, VFDs, dividing their time between work and keeping this fair city safe. In keeping with this tradition, I propose Safe Streets Initiative. In that we not only provide a central, professional emergency services facilities such as police stations, hospitals, fire stations ect. But allow swift response to emergencies, great and small." He then set up a small computer, which doubled as a projector screen, and provided a rough map of various facilities. It was designed to prioritize emergency centers to be easily accessed from different boroughs, but also proposes smaller, emergency centers for local, and less pressing emergencies. The theory in kind that if there were epidemics, or other major national disasters, Respite may also assist neighboring cities.

"These are rough plans sketched out by the inter-union meet up a few weeks ago, of which I believe Mr. Coombs here was a part of. While not finalized, the idea remains the same. An ambitious revitalization of our infrastructure over the next couple years. We would like the rest of the city's input so we can finalize the budget. If we're to capitalize on the housing market, we need to make sure people are able to get from their homes to their places of work, wherever that may be."

[Alozia]

"I don't think we'll be able to agree on anythin' in this chaos." Joseph started "How 'bout we choose the presiding officer first - someone who could establish some order in 'ere."

[Zjaum]

"I believe that responsibility was Mr. Eliot's, sir," Ernest stated. He looked towards at Vienna and turned back. "However, I suppose that he might want a break. I volunteer my services." It meant that he wouldn't be able to look over his notes as frequently as he wanted to, and he wasn't particularly a fast writer, but he'd have to do. "I would like to emphasize to everyone that we are agreeing on a name. Yes, there are far more important matters at hand, but it is something that a unified city could rally behind to address these issues. Because this is a relatively trivial matter, though, I would appreciate either nominations or votes. One of the two would be appreciated."

[Greater Arab State]

Montgomery Drubman walked slowly into the town hall. The seventy five year old former bourbon Barron was selected was because of his straight talking manner and also because the neighbourhood felt that he truly represented the values of Testament.

And so Montgomery Drubman strolled towards where the other representatives were positioned, smoked on the cigar brand that he was well known for smoking and began to speak.

"My sincerest apologies for my lateness sir' and ma'am's. So far what has been brought up?" Drubman asked attempting to both see what proposals had been made and also to see who he would be working alongside in the Town hall."

[Vienna Eliot]

Vienna took a long, hard look at the book of arcane rules while everyone spoke.

"Okay, folks, so it seems to me... the question is on the name, and uh..."

Vienna frowned.

"Well, let's put this to a vote. Let's call out the roll. The proposals are Montgomery, Respite, Carrie. You can also vote for something that hasn't been proposed."

[OOC: Post your vote here. Voting will last 24 hours.]

[Ilnovryst]

Despite sitting on the more central part of the room, Odell rarely paid attention to the debate that has been going on around him. The 47-year-old man zoned out halfway through the debate, deeming it too anarchic and mundane to even chimed in, but he did manage to keep up with his notes. It was like the information would go through his ear and onto his page without him hearing it. A talent that is both useful in a school classroom and town hall. Says a lot about the state of politics these days, to be honest.

He snapped back to reality when Vienna finally speak again and commenced on the voting. Guess he has taken the mantle as the person to chair the room. Odell looked skeptically at the man, thousands of questions running around his head. Can he really do that without any authority or legal backing? What makes him have the authority over them? Will he forsake his own vote for this, like the Lord Speaker in Britain?

He sighed, for a room full of politicians, it's a proof of failure that there isn't a single law exist, even to regulate themselves.

He then looked at his notes, which is filled with scribbles. There must be quite a lot he jotted during the debate. He read the notes to know the position of each delegate before making his own, the number one rule to survive as a politician.

• Today session is about name and charter
• Conlard proposed to name the city after some train man, Montgomery
• Everett proposed Respite
• Gilchrist proposed Carrie
• Akbir want some a lot of money
• Caldwell III disagreed with all the name
• Sevelev rant off about infrastructure

He sighed again. Guess everyone here is quite self-centered about the need of their own neighborhood over the city. Granted, that's why and how they are chosen to be here in the first place, but it seems it wouldn't be easy to get anything done once the room finally moved to the charter part of the agenda. With that on the mind, he reluctantly stands up from his chair and prepares to cast his vote, better for him to get this over fast.

"I'm voting for Montgomery. There's nothing wrong with the suggestion of Mr. Conlard, he gives us a well-explained reason for his choice, and I agree that the city as a whole is quite benefited by his area. I cannot deny the fact that our city should be named by a local phenomenon, to make it truly represent us its citizen and its history. But most importantly, it should be a good local phenomenon. It is common knowledge that many parts of our city settled one way or another by immigrants, by settlers. By naming the city Montgomery we are giving our city not only respect for the man but also a goal, a goal to be successful despite the hardship, to be beneficial to society as a whole even as he chases his own dream. That I think, is a very good moral to be had in a city name; to be independent, to chase your dream with your own two feet, but to also bring positive change and influence to other people's live. That's why I cast my vote for Montgomery as our city name."

[Adab]

Desmond Fitzconnor Fergal IV largely maintained his silence as others in the hall babbled and debated in search of a name for the town. Also some man demanded a lot of money for something. Never since Australia waged war against the emu had a collection of humans wasted so much of their intelligence on such trivial matters. Always a man of few words, Desmond was almost unnoticed as he made his way into the hall, leaning on his cane, dressed unassumingly in all black akin to a man in mourning, or Johnny Cash taking the stage at Folsom Prison.

He sat in stony silence as the names were spoken aloud. Montgomery, Respite, Carrie, did I miss anything? None of them were particularly appealing, and he was almost tempted to propose Fergalopolis. But Carrie was particularly bad, so he had got to deal with that first. "My friends," he rose to his feet, his ravaged voice echoing across the hall, "the names that you have proposed have certainly piqued my interest. With all due respect to the great man who held that name, I believe Carrie is just not that appealing of a name. There have been too many towns with the name Montgomery - I can think of five of them - and I believe that we must strive to be something else.

"Respite is a good name, but I would like to cast my vote for Jefferson, after that great man who long ago wrote that 'all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.' Such are the immortal ideals that I believe the existence of this town must rest upon, ideals that we must strive to realize. I rest my case."

[Zjaum]

"I reiterate my vote for Respite. It is a name tied to the history of the city, and not for just a single man. It is the best compromise we can make on the subject."

[Klomania 2]

Mr. Conlard gives himself time to think carefully of the situation of the town naming. He believes that Montgomery Drubman might vote with the name of Montgomery given his first name. That's one more vote for his suggestion, but it all stops here, as he predicts in his mind that everyone else save for Gilchrist may vote for Respite.

"Five for Respite, one for Carrie, one for Montgomery....13 representatives total, seven have yet to vote. Drubman may vote Montgomery", he writes on his agenda. He calculates that Montgomery may still have a chance to be passed as the town name, but he is concerned with how narrow its relativeness is, and plus, he will certainly be a minority. Ultimately, he casts his vote.

"I stand by my decision to name the city Montgomery to honor the beginnings of the modern era of this region. However, I do not mind if the town name is decided as Respite, as it is relateable to all citizens," Conlard declares.

He turns the page on his agenda.

Important Issues for Montgomery Hill
- Reduce pollution caused by industry (MAJOR)
- Introduce solar-powered and natural gas-powered factories?
- Continue maintenance of the high-volume roads connecting the train station to the highway in order to continue interregional trade
- Improve wages of the workers
- Instate welfare to take care of the often poor workers
- Promote the arrival of fast food restaurants in order to satiate the growing hunger crisis among the workers
- Reorganize the district to allow more efficient use of zoning space, allowing for more residential and business zones

He first decides to address the pollution.

"Anyhow," Conlord begins, pausing in order to gather the attention of the hall. "We must move on to more pressing issues. I have received complaints from all around the region that air pollution is still at high levels, despite attempts to clean up the industry. I will take the blame for my district is a huge cause of the pollution, for our industry and especially our power plants, which host the majority of the city's power, has yet to progress, However, how the industry must progress to a more environmentally friendly stage shall be debated on here. In my opinion, we should convert the coal-powered power plants in Montgomery Hill to solar-powered plants or natural-gas power plants. Solar will be the cleaner option, but it could get very expensive to construct so many as each solar-powered plant is relatively low on power generation. Alternatively, we can go for a few natural gas power plants, which will still produce some pollution, but will provide more power. Either option is better than continuing the usage of coal power, which pollutes the most, but is mediocre in power generation. It is time."

[Alozia]

Relieved that things are finally moving along Caldwell cast his vote for Respite without giving a long speech hoping to get this done as soon as possible.

[Adab]

"Eh, I too would love to see solar power adopted here," said Fergal, replying to Conlord, "however we must also consider the possibility of layoffs. I just hope that we won't have to suddenly deal with too many angry people who have just lost their jobs."

[Greater Arab State]

Mr Drubman casts a vote for Montgomery.

"I support the naming of this city to be Montgomery. I support this because it will reiterate our cities support for business and therefore could attract more potential investment for our neighbourhoods."

[Helowi]

“After hearing all arguments, I have decided to change my vote for Respite.” Kander states.

[Bruke]

Gilchrist: "I'll vote for Respite, seeing as it's the consensus choice."