from a friend...


I don't know about all villages, but some of the areas in which Placencia
Village to have more control of its own destiny (because, ultimately, that's
what this is all about - the ability of people to manage and have some
control over their own environment), include:

1. The ability to have control over development, such as height of
buildings, plumbing, the time when construction can begin in the mornings
(such as not before 7 or 8AM), density, lot coverage, set-backs, dock
construction, proper sanitation, etc.
2. The ability to impose controls on things such as parking, street
vendors, signage, business hours, business location (such as no bars or
discos in residential areas), control of location of fiberglass work, where
boats can dock (moorage control)
3. The ability to impose fines, such as for littering, graffiti, illegal
parking, loitering, weed control in vacant lots, allowing dogs to run free,
pollution of the environment (for example, pouring used oil on the ground,
improper disposal of batteries, burning of trash, etc.), generally
non-compliance with village by-laws
4. The ability to impose leash laws and other animal control measures such
as licensing; regulations about the kind of animals that may be kept in the
village
5. The ability to require boats to use pump-out services rather than
release sewage at sea
6. The ability to license businesses
7. The ability to control special events (size, location, serving of
alcohol, etc.

It also only seems fair that villages, towns and cities share in some of the
taxes they generate, especially property taxes. Personally, I pay a lot of
taxes, and I see very little local return for those taxes. And, it would be
difficult for many people in Placencia to voluntarily contribute MORE over
and above the taxes already levied by the national government.

What is happening now is that people are becoming more demoralized than they
previously were, because we have absolutely no ability to control what is
happening in our own backyards.