St. Charles Candidate Wyatt Plans Mayor’s Resident Forums

A second St. Charles mayoral candidate has promised an initiative targeting residents who feel their voices were not heeded on the controversial Lexington Club development, which received approval from a divided City Council earlier this month.

A week after announcing his weekly “Coffee With Jake” campaign effort, Jake Wyatt said in a release issued Monday that he intends to continue the informal, open house-formatted “meet-and-greets” with residents if he is elected mayor.

As part of his campaign, Wyatt announced he plans to hold the open house-style sessions at American Legion Post 342, 1150 N. 5th Ave., Suite C, from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from Jan. 26 through March 30.

“My goal is to make it as convenient as possible for residents to meet me and for myself, to reserve a maximum amount of time to hear their concerns and discuss what they value in their community,” he said in the release issued Monday. “This will be standard procedure when I am elected mayor. From recent discussion going on throughout the city, it is apparent that the residents often have no voice.”

The Lexington Club vote left opponents of the project angry. Many complained afterward and in public forums since then that the city failed to heed their voices on the issue.

“My administration will feature an open ‘Resident Forum’ held monthly and more frequently, as needed,” Wyatt said. “Special interest groups can offer constructive debate. They have developed over the years in our community, seeking to know and communicate the issues, to get the information they are entitled to have and to have a voice in city decisions.

“I applaud their efforts,” Wyatt continued. “They should not be marginalized. As Mayor I will want to hear from all sides of an issue and foster healthy discussion among these groups and other area residents.”

Related:

• Nov, 30, 2012: About Jake ‘Wayne’ Wyatt