The excitement doesn't end with our Elected Officials. Town Hall Meltdown! -
During a recent town hall, a question was posed to Mayor Bodker regarding his employment with DTI, owned by Councilwoman Cori Davenport's husband.
Both Mayor Bodker and Councilwoman Cori Davenport assert nothing is wrong. If that is the case, why get so upset?
Video can also be seen through this link.
Oh and don't forget. Mayor Bodker and Councilwoman Cori Davenport negotiated the questionable billboard settlement.
What are your thoughts on the Town Hall Meltdown?
Video Source: City of Johns Creek
So Billboard Bodker is working for the Davenports?!
Didn't those 2 negotiate the billboard settlement with Cori's close friend?
looks bad ?, smells bad ?.
GET THEM OUT!!!!!! ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!!!!!'
Term Limits would work on a local level as well as in Washington.
Seems like a clear case of conflict of interest to me.
If there's no problem with Mayor B working for the Davenports, why is Ms. D so upset over a simple question? As Anon says above "looks bad" and "smells bad." Mayor B says he consults for many companies. Should we check those connections as well? If there's nothing to it, let's move on.
Are they part of draining the swamp do you think!
If there is no favoritism occurring, then why get upset??? Just tell Jennifer that she, and the public, can have access to the applicant records for the consulting job. That won't happen because DTI is a privately-held organization. JUST DON"T PUT YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
The mayor' arrogance has reached a new high and Cori, if you can't take the heat you just pick up your toys and go home. You need to resign from the board because you won't be reelected.
Spot on!
Agreed. Heat? Get out of the kitchen. Spotlight? Run. Is there an UN-ELECTION anytime soon? BODKER and DAVENPORT appear to have crossed the line.
Looks like we have our very own swamp monsters right here in Johns Creek.
You know it's true.
Yet another reason we moved out of Johns Creek. It's time for Bodker to step down from his throne.
Hear, hear.
This is NOT a good look for Mike Bodker or Cori Davenport. I am a little bewildered by their reaction. If it is not a big deal then why did Davenport become so flustered? Why is everyone connected to Davenport? There are so many questions and so few answers.
Now, I need to digress a little because the connection to the Billboards needs to be addressed. Hat tip to Anon, for the moniker, Billboard Bodker ^^ <-- that is funny but sad.
Funny because Billboard Bodker proudly states he helped negotiate the Billboards we have in Johns Creek. Absolutely, Bodker and Davenport are instrumental in ensuring we have GIANT LED billboards. Sad because the rest of Johns Creek has to live with their sneakiness and sold the citizens of Johns Creek out.
Billboard Bodker's explanation of he and Davenport playing "good cop, bad cop" seems like a farce. The Billboard company were promised billboards that the traditional billboards we grew up seeing litter the side of the highways some major cities. With traditional billboards your ad would fade, peel, become dirty, or change color over time as it is exposed to the sun and other weather elements.*
It was not a viable option for the billboard companies to put up the traditional billboards that were part of the original agreement with Fulton.
LED is noticeable from a much further distance. The driver can’t help but read its rotating messages as they drive past, the driver can absorb 2 messages in the 20 second window the LED board was in view. And your traditional Billboard with the static message went unnoticed!
The length of digital billboard ads is a standard 8 seconds before the message changes and is part of a 64 second loop. The LED billboards may provide up to 8 ads for the Billboard company in a 64 second loop vs. one ad on a traditional Billboard.
A traditional billboard ad can't be changed without hiring someone to climb up and repaper it, which is usually time-consuming and expensive. As it is ONE ad per Billboard.
Though LED billboards can be found in many large U.S. cities, some cities have banned them because of safety concerns. Some LED billboards are so bright that they can be seen from miles away -- a fact that has inspired complaints from nearby residents. Much like the citizens of Johns Creek.
Here are some of my questions that I would like to see answers to:
Why did Johns Creek agree to BIGGER billboards?
Why did Johns Creek agree to taller billboards?
Why did Johns Creek agree to LED billboards when they were not part of the original agreement?
Why did Johns Creek allow 2 people who seem to be closely tied to each other to negotiate with a dear friend and (Lake Lanier) neighbor of one of these two people (Davenport)?
-- Why did they not recuse themselves?
-- Are they better negotiators than professional negotiators?
References:
City Council Public Comments and Rebuttal regarding Billboards https://youtu.be/rndG9vIdhwg
A brief review of the Billboard issues https://youtu.be/SOJSp0-LNnQ
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/print-vs-led-billboard-advertising-38820.html
http://billboardinsider.com/led-versus-static-why-digital-billboards/
Agreed. Apparently some of these officials lack integrity and ethics. Why has this just now become known?
I'm not anonymous. This is David Pitman. We have lived her since 1989 before it was Johns Creek. I'm a native Atlantan. I'm for term limits for every politician both nationally, state, and local. There is a conflict here for both Mike and Cori. I admit, I voted for both of them, but know I want. "Drain the swamp" has come to Johns Creek!
AGREE!
I totally agree with you
Obviously Bodker and Davenport consider themselves above the law. Davenport is best friends with the owner of the Billboard Company and she and Bodker negotiated the great deal for the City. Both stated publicly this was not a conflict of interest.
Now there is a financial connection between the two, and again, no conflict of interest? And why all the drama if all is well?
Who else are they friends with? Maybe some Developers?
Cori,
Don't forget your CHANEL on the way out of your term on council!
LOL, I was thinking the same thing,. She is pretentious airhead.
Wow! Why the hyper sensitivity? They act defensive and combative.
Why?
Conflict of interest for sure . Investigate corruption possibilities then fire them both
Drano is needed for the swamp.
Mike, Mike, Mike! Your expression said it all. Time to go. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." -Lord Acton
yeah looks like we have "a swamp" here in Johns creek!! Dan Foster
Kudos to Jennifer for exposing what looks like really bad optics. Sure the mayor and the city council members have a right to earn an income/living but the coziness between the two and the defensive response especially by davenport is quite illuminating.
They could have easily answered the question in a manner that brought clarity but instead their response sounded like typical dirty business. Getting up and stomping out is definitely not "leadership".
Because of the history with the whole billboard debacle bodker should have chosen to not engage in doing any more business with davenport..... But hey - if you are a swamp monster - you gotta eat.
-CKP
Jennifer is my hero.
Johns Creek is not a swamp, it is a sewer. The there is not an apostrophe after the n for a reason.
Why do I feel like we are in the Twilight Zone?
Bodker and Davenport "negotiate" with the Billboard Company who is Davenport's very close friend and neighbor in Lake Lanier.
Bodker consults for Davenport but claims it is perfectly fine, he is very good at what he does.
-- Here is my unsolicited advice: Find other consulting jobs, you are very good, supposedly.
And Zaprowski's fiancee works for Davenport, too?
-- So we have another member on City Council closely tied to Davenport?
-- Having said that, Zaprowski seems like a nice and upstanding guy but he has been a critical vote and deciding vote for some key issues. These votes have actually hurt our community.
--> High Density Housing
--> Dean Gardens** (deciding vote)
--> Billboards
Broadbent scoffs and laughs when the question about Bodker working for Davenports company.
Voting Records:
(Note: these are my personal observations)
Davenport: almost votes exactly with Bodker and never questions his authority. No individual thought.
Broadbent: almost votes exactly with Bodker (save, the one time last year he agreed to vote to lower the millage rate, much to Bodker's shock and chagrin)
Lin: votes 100% with Bodker. Never questions Bodker and parrots his talking points. No individual thought.
Zaprowski: votes mostly with Bodker and does seems to have the citizens at heart but then when the deciding vote is needed (and a bathroom break is called), Zaprowski changes course.
Endres: researches and votes with the citizens in mind. She is fiscally responsible and has championed the citizens.
Coughlin: has come in with individual thoughts and ideas. Votes with the citizens in mind
Remember the people Bodker brings in or has endorsed seem to parrot him and the way he would like to see the votes. Don't forget he tried to do that on other occasions and thankfully lost. However, he did manage to get Davenport, Lin and Zaprowski did campaign with Bodker when he ran initially.
Final thoughts: Johns Creek is no longer represented by a city council when we have a Mayor bringing in his own voting block, or so called representatives. Johns Creek citizens are smart. You can't fool me twice. Come on November!!
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, IT'S A DUCK!
The Mayor and Councilmember Davenport were downright indignant towards the woman posing some fair questions that need complete answers.
There's a solid appearance of a conflict of interest here and more discussion is warranted, in addition to specifics on the Mayor's other consulting arrangements.
Exactly what kind of consulting services is the Mayor providing Davenport's spouse and the other Johns Creek employee he mentioned?
THIS IS WRONG!!! For Bodker and Davenport to try and justify this SHADY behavior as acceptable is totally wrong. And their defensive response to this speaks volumes.
Plain and simple....anything that could possibly appear to be crossing the line within our local government, should not be engaged in by our officials. The mayor continues to magnify his shady reputation.....he looks shady, he talks shady, and he acts shady. TIME TO GET THEM OUT OF OFFICE!!!
Do nothing secretly; for Time sees and hears all things, and discloses all. – Sophocles
I like THIS quote....But insert "CITY" in place of the word "WORLD".
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
.
'If we elect the same corrupt mayor every time, that's a very clear message that we don't want a change.'
— Sukant Ratnakar
Hit a nerve there eh?? LOL How rude to walk out when THEY work for US!
At first glance, I didn't view the "conflict of interest" much of an issue. However, their reaction and overall combative attitude raises concerns as though there is something to hide. The question wasn't really antagonistic enough to warrant the lady walking out. That was ridiculous
i left JC in 2016 because it was such a crooked run city. no bodker you are not a good consultant you are a crook