Re “When Greenberg Charged, Mehaul Laughed and Deleted”
[img]1915|right|Mehaul O'Leary||no_popup[/img]Vice Mayor Mehaul O’Leary was not happy that neighborhood activist Les Greenberg sent an ethics-complaint allegation to the city attorney last week instead of going directly to the source, the vice mayor himself.
According to Mr. Greenberg’s complaint:
“Vice-Mayor O'Leary operates Joxster Daly’s, a popular restaurant/bar located on West Washington Boulevard between Commonwealth Avenue and Center Street. Like the Church, Joxster Daly’s sits between one street with permit-only parking during prime evening hours—Commonwealth—and one without any restrictions—Center—but Joxster Daly’s has a few parking spots. During the hearing, O’Leary advocated means by which to revoke Farragut’s preferential parking.
“If the City Council commences down the ‘slippery slope’ of reevaluating locations with grandfathered permit-only restrictions, O’Leary could financially benefit with the ability to request that the parking restrictions on Commonwealth be revoked. O’Leary failed to disclose this financial conflict of interest.”
The vice mayor holds a slightly different view.
“I wish some of these people would reach out to me if they have concerns,” Mr. O’Leary said at the outset of his scold.
Addressing his critics, he suggested: “Why don’t you pick up the phone? I am very accessible.”
Furthermore: “I hear nothing. I need more information when I am making a decision.”
As for the throbbing present problem of Grace Lutheran Church petitioning the City Council to open up the long off-limits 10700 block of Farragut Drive to its members during its busy weekday programs, Mr. O’Leary had a perspective.
“The church obviously is allowed to be there,” he said. “It seems unreasonable that it has no parking.
“We have dealt with this before, with The Culver Hotel not having any parking. We just have to be reasonable. It’s a church, and it’s allowed to be there.
“So how,” asked Mr. O’Leary, “can we make it a win-win for everyone?”
It is likely to be the middle of next year before a Council ruling is rendered, and the vice mayor is “confident we can work out a deal that will benefit everyone.”
