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First, there is absolutely nothing that raises the pucker factor in a local official like a crowded City Council Chamber. If, in dded so many people are against this, organize them (via telephone and neighborhood "coffees") and go to the City Council meeting en mass. Most councils have a provision for letting Citizens speak during the meeting, if not, put the hammer down on your alderman and get him/her to recognize you or your appointed spokesman. (After, of course, you have had your organized group call him/her individually to express your outrage and tell him/her you will vote for a blind newt rather than support him/her for re-election)
If Federal funds are involved, there are usually two requirements built into the grant award: Citizen Participation and Environmental Impact. Citizen participation is usually a small public hearing to which the City Government has to demonstrate that it has made a serious effort at outreach to obtain citizen input. Usually they just print the smallest legal notice of a public hearing to be held within the confines of a city council meeting. The EIS (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT) must be available for public review and comment. If it has not been , then a letter to the regional office of the grant agency, (HUD, Dept of Commerce, etc)will stop the entire process dead in its tracks.
When I was a Mayor, my worst nightmare was to walk into Council Chambers and see the room packed to capacity when I didn't have a clue why those people were there. Fortunately, it only happened once. On the other hand, I have been on the other end and blindsided the hell out of the Mayor and Council and it was extremely effective.
Your last resort, as always is to get a bunch of your supporters together and run for city council as a block, or get behind somebody to run for Mayor.
At any rate, good luck to you.
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