As a person deeply involved in local government, I take open meetings and public records laws rather seriously. I hold them in high regard. Transparency is so key to good government. Which is why the Economic Development Commission (EDC) in particular, and several other city committees, drive me nuts from time to time.
The most recent incident . . . Last night at the EDC there was an agenda item on their agenda that read as follows:
7. 3 – 5 YEAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Discussion of draft outline
04898 3 – 5 Year Economic Development Strategy Implementation Plan
Attachments: EcoDevStrategyPlan100406.doc
Normally, in Legistar, you can click on the item number, in this case 04898 and get to the item. And then you’d be able to see the Attachment that they refer to. By getting this information, that’s how the public is able to read what they are discussing and decide if they’d like to show up and testify.
In this case, you can’t click on the link. I couldn’t figure out why and I asked our Council staff to look at it and she informed me:
That's because they kept in draft format and thus it can't be accessed
through the web. Luckily you have me!
Yes, luckily, I can get the information. However, the public, can’t.
I have three drafts of this plan in my folder. The latest one is dated Oct. 4, 2006. I also have one dated Sept. 19, 2006 and one that is not dated. I’m pretty sure I have those copies because I showed up to a meeting where if you were there, you could get a copy.
On October 4th, this item appeared on their agenda
6. 3 – 5 YEAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Discussion of draft outline
No links in legistar.
On September 6th, this item appeared on their agenda
8. UPDATE ON ED IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY PLAN
SUBCOMMITTEE
Discussion only
No links in legistar.
I know I’ve been to many meetings where I show up and something is handed out and it doesn’t appear in legistar. And I think we’re working towards fixing some of these problems. But, I am particularly appalled because with the EDC, this remains a running theme. In this case, one of the members who worked on the document actually said that “its still a draft and I don’t want that out there for the public”. I’m positive she didn’t realize what she was saying or that this isn’t the way open government works. However, this isn’t the first time these members have run afoul of rules on how government works. Remember their Economic Development report they kept under lock and key until the press release? Or their non-public hearing, public hearing on paid sick leave?
Honestly, we have an Economic Development plan that hasn’t been updated since 1980. I tried to put money in the budget last year to update the plan, but oddly enough, that motion failed. Now, they are developing an outline of what the plan is, and yet the public is really allowed to participate fully in a discussion of what we should be looking at in regards to Economic Development. And this is all the more important because in the Planning and Development reorganization, we are putting Community Development in the Economic Development Unit and some people think Economic Development includes only job creation, others have a wider view. If you had the document, you’d see that EDC has taken the wider view of Economic Development, but it is certainly not unaimous with all of the committee members.
Anyways, and I’m serious about this, the Mayor’s office is in charge of committee training, I really think they need to get someone from the City Attorney’s office over there to explain that this is government and there are rules. Private businesses might not have to follow these rules, but when you are doing the business of the citizens of this fine City, you do have to follow these rules. I know these rules aren’t always intuitive and counter to the way many businesses are run, but they’re more than rules, they are laws. And they are important for good government.
