Second update, 9/19: I met Councilmember Hank Margeson at the "Leadership Eastside" breakfast meeting this morning and he was aware of my struggle to understand the Council Committees' purpose of voting. Margeson (left) Chairs the Planning and Public Works Committee. He said he uses the Committee vote mostly to "give direction" to staff. Hank Myers (right) touches on this in the below letter he just emailed. A double thanks to "both Hanks" and especially to Kim Allen who first alerted me and explained the voting process. Council President Nancy McCormmick and Michelle McGhee, our City Clerk also helped.
The take-home message is Council Committee voting is "advisory" in nature and not a Council decision. The full Council will still have to vote by consent or nonconsent, on committee advise.
Open government is furthered if committee votes are not only recorded but also announced for the benefit of the viewing audience, media and staff.
A paraphrased, excerpted email from Councilman Hank Myers describes Committee process further, as follows:
Mayor Marchione has a policy of trying to give the Council process three touches on significant issues. Certain actions, such as applying for grants, require Council action. ...And in the case of the bike jump grant request we voted to recommend applying for the grant to show that it had been considered and was not controversial in our view. As a result, it was subsequently considered as part of the Council Consent agenda and passed.
The Committee meetings are advertised as public so that interested members of the Council may attend and even participate in the discussion without violating the open public meetings act. It is my understanding that only members of the Committee may vote, [and the public my attend but not participate] and when we took the vote to approve the application for the bike jumps Mr. Vache', Mr. Carson and I all voted in favor. Councilmember Cole did not vote.
Hank Myers
Councilmember, View Point Neighborhood
Chair of Parks and Human Services Committee
paraphrased and edited by Bob Yoder
Open government is furthered if committee votes are not only recorded but also announced for the benefit of the viewing audience, media and staff.
A paraphrased, excerpted email from Councilman Hank Myers describes Committee process further, as follows:
Mayor Marchione has a policy of trying to give the Council process three touches on significant issues. Certain actions, such as applying for grants, require Council action. ...And in the case of the bike jump grant request we voted to recommend applying for the grant to show that it had been considered and was not controversial in our view. As a result, it was subsequently considered as part of the Council Consent agenda and passed.
The Committee meetings are advertised as public so that interested members of the Council may attend and even participate in the discussion without violating the open public meetings act. It is my understanding that only members of the Committee may vote, [and the public my attend but not participate] and when we took the vote to approve the application for the bike jumps Mr. Vache', Mr. Carson and I all voted in favor. Councilmember Cole did not vote.
Hank Myers
Councilmember, View Point Neighborhood
Chair of Parks and Human Services Committee
paraphrased and edited by Bob Yoder
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