You find the following piece of paper pinned to the Tavern Bulletin Board.
Annaliese: Asking, Listening, Apprising
Public Works
Looking towards the continued development of our town, I favor the construction of a gaol, followed by a sawmill.Because these are public works, and public funds are put towards building and maintaining them, they should also have public benefit. To that end, I propose a fee on the use of works that by default would benefit only a certain subsection of our population. The sawmill is an example of such a work. The fee I propose is 60% of what is produced above what the same individual could produce without use of the public work. This 60% would go straight into Town Council holdings to be used for town purposes, only. Over time, as the Town accumulates capital, I would endeavor to reduce these fees to between 50% and 30%.
Should both the gaol and sawmill be built while I am seated on the council, I propose that the iron mine improvements, followed by the library improvements, should be the next priorities.
Foreign Relations
The Changelings and Fae
We have a unique opportunity to shape interactions between the Fae Courts and Humanity for the future. We must take that role seriously, and aim for an amiable and mutually beneficial coexistence. I encourage amiable but cautious interactions with the fae on both an individual and town level.Those changelings that have made themselves known to us, and are not currently in conflict with us, should be extended official invitations to town festivals, as a gesture of goodwill. In addition, as Town Councilor, I would create a means by which they could officially and reliably contact Town Council on matters of mutual interest or concern.
To that end, I propose the creation of the position of “Fae Ambassador.” The individual in this position would be non-voting, selected by majority vote of the Town Councilors, and required to sit in on Town Council proceedings. This individual would be in charge of keeping communication with the Changelings and the Fae Courts they represent open and reliable, and would be answerable to the Town Council.
Should the Fae Courts wish to replace this individual with an ambassador from their own number, I would support this motion. Should the Fae Ambassador be selected in this manner, the individual could only be removed from the position by resignation, a majority vote of the Town Councilors judging them unfit, or by overtly hostile action on the part of the ambassador towards the Town Council, any of which would result in immediate loss of the position. Until the Fae Courts put forth such an individual, however, we must take the initiative in maintaining good relations, and should therefore nominate one of our own to fill the gap.
Tiyagans
Recent months have seen improvements in the relationship between our colony and Tiago. It is essential that we continue these improvements with our near neighbors.I support the continued presence of the Tiyagan embassy on our island. As Town Councilor, I would encourage the presence of the Tiyagan ambassador at official Town Council proceedings, both as witness, and to bring a valuable outside perspective to the discussions.
Others
I advocate for striving for peaceful and open relationships with all national bodies of the Pan Aetherium. As Town Councilor, I would move to open trade and expand communication with the other known major political entities of the Pan Aetherium.Town Spending
Town spending includes both money and resources owned by the town as a whole. These should be spent only on matters of concern to the town as an entity, and should be prioritized in the following order.- The material maintenance of existing public works
- Maintaining militia spending at current of lower rates, the exact nature of which should be decided by close discussion with the captain of the militia.
- Any remainder should be split 40/40/20 between acquiring resources for new public works, building a stockpile of materials to support maintaining public works in leaner times, and supplying a payment to those who volunteer their focus to the maintenance of public works.
Town Council Proceedings
Proposed Changes
I propose the following changes to the proceedings of the Town Council:Minutes to be taken at all official Town Council meetings, and then put and kept in the library for public viewing.
The full text of any policies passed to be published in the library for public viewing.
The following three subsections have been included by request of citizens of Port Katherine
Role of the Town Council
The primary roles of the Town Council are to determine and manage allocation of town resources, and to represent the town in non-military foreign affairs. The secondary role of the Town Council is to pass civil laws when needed, and see to the collection of any fines resulting from breaking such laws. The Town Council shall not take part in military or criminal matters except on explicit request by the Kithiran government at large, with the exception that if a matter of urgency for the town arises of which the Kithiran Navy or Kithiran Government is not aware, such as a coordinated foreign attack on our soil, it shall be the role of the Town Council to notify the entity concerned.Exception: The Town Council maintains the funding of the militia for the day-to-day defense of the town against outside threats. The militia is not to be used for internal criminal matters, unless they represent a severe and immediate threat to the safety of the town, such as a violent attack by one subset of the townsfolk upon the others. In such a case, the miltia’s job shall be purely defensive, with any resulting criminal arrests and charges left to the Navy.
Conflicts of Interest
Membership on the Town Council should not disqualify one from pursuing personal goals and affairs. However, should those affairs come into conflict with the interests of the town as represented by the Town Council, that individual will be expected to immediately withdraw from the conflicting obligation. Should that prove impractical for any reason, the individual must resign from Town Council, instead. To this end, I propose: Should a member of the Town Council be accused of such a conflict, and refuse to take one of the above options, that member may be removed by a unanimous vote of the other Councilors, sans the councilor in question.Absence of Members
Proposal: The Town Council may not have an official policy meeting with less than five eighths of the membership present. Nor may it ever meet without notifying all Councilors present on the island.Exception to the first: A meeting may be held with less than eight of the Councilors if the purpose is to deal with an emergency situation. Such a meeting may consist of addressing that matter, only.
If a Town Councilor knows in advance that they will be leaving before the end of their term, and not returning, that councilor should nominate an individual to take their place. This individual would then need to receive a majority vote of the remaining Councilors, at which point they would serve for the remainder of the original term. If an individual leaves and fails to nominate a replacement before the first festival after their departure, the Town Council may instead nominate their replacement by means of a run-off vote from the Town Councilors.