I believe the mayor and City Council want to do a good job for Beaufort, and I thank them for the time and effort they put into being mayor and members of council. However, I believe that their listening skills can be improved.

Do the citizens of the city of Beaufort want parking meters?

Do the citizens of the city of Beaufort want a parking garage?

Do the citizens of the city of Beaufort want form-based codes?

What other town the size of Beaufort has pay-for-parking?

Who benefits from pay-for-parking? I guess merchants on Lady's Island and in Uptown benefit from customers who would rather not face the prospect of receiving a parking ticket. Other than the council, who wants pay-for-parking?

Form-based codes: Have they asked themselves why 19 citizens have to devote massive time to re-write a draft, lifted from one produced for a Lawrence Group client in Virginia and cost local taxpayers more than $1.5 million? Who, other than themselves and city staff, wants to implement a code that few understand?

Another question: Why do they disparage citizens who show up, regardless of timeliness, to comment on or protest their plans? They applaud those who show up in support of their ideas but dismiss those who oppose their ideas as a "mob" or "self-interested." Logic suggests they cannot have it both ways.

Pete Palmer

Beaufort