For the sake of brevity and your reading enjoyment, I've posted edited excerpt's of my correspondence with City Clerk, Michelle McGehee under "comments".
To find our Q&A please press the "comments" button underneath this post.
Chair Hank Margeson's Planning and Public Works Committee meeting, 9/17
This committee meeting had quorum and voted to advise staff on an annexation issue.
L-R Hank Myers, Kim Allen, Richard Cole (by door), Hank Margeson (under clock)
Council President Nancy McCormick
story and photo by Bob Yoder
The following is severely edited email correspondence between myslef and the City Clerk - who, by the way is EXCELLENT!! and a tremendous resource.
ReplyDeleteYoder: Are the video taped meetings that are archived on the website considered official public records or are they used as unofficial public records, or not a record at all?
Clerk: Almost anything produced in the transaction of business is considered a record. The ‘official record’ are the adopted, signed minutes of the meeting. Yes – the audio recording is a public record, but it is a ‘secondary’ record in that it has a limited life span (retention period), as compared to the minutes, which have a permanent retention period. The On-Demand archive itself is as well a record, but again, it is not the ‘official’ record, and it too has a limited duration life. Audio cassette recordings are available to the public at the Redmond Library.
Yoder: Who staffs the Council committee meetings?
Clerk: I staff the meetings. I personally staff the Public Administration and Finance Committee meeting, and all Council meetings.
Yoder: Please find someone to tell me if a vote took place during Chair Myers Parks Committee Meeting at Perrigo Park.
Clerk: On the last Parks Committee meeting of 8/10/09
There were four members in attendance; Mr. Carson, Mr. Cole, Mr. Myers, and Mr. Vache. Mr. Cole is not a member of the Committee.
[As of 9/18/09] the minutes of the meeting are currently in the production stages.
Clerk: I know that you are aware that the role of Council committees is ‘Advisory Only.’ Meaning – they are empowered to make recommendations to the full Council for action.
Yoder: Unfortunately, the city website search engine is of no use for me so I didn't know this.
Clerk: By ordinances: the council committees shall function:
- to inform and educate the Council
-to explore the implications of policy alternatives
-to serve in an advisory capacity to the Council as a whole
- have no authority to commit the city or to take action without Council authorization.
-concerned primarily with policy matters
-shall not become involved in the administration of the city government and city interests.
Clerk: The standing Council Committees are:
(1) Public Administration and Finance:
(2) Public Safety:
(3) Planning and Public Works:
(4) Parks and Human Services:
(5) Regional Affairs:
Clerk: Council Committee meetings are not a forum for public input.
Clerk: Public of course are welcome to attend, but participation is solely for the work of the Committee.
Clerk: Any member of the public has the right to speak on any item that comes before Council at the regular council meeting.
Yoder: Which brings me to a final concern. I hate to have to bother you for this information when some of it is a point of fact that the Communications Department should be able to directly answer. Basic questions like how the Committee governance system works and what a committee vote means should be in the "Citizens Guide to Government" that I think is buried in one of the Land Use sections of the city website. I encourage you to try to find it with our (dysfunctional) city website search engine.
Yoder: Our website is out of date and creating serious communication problems.
Yoder: The public doesn't seem to have a "point man" , community ombudsman, or communications officer that can answer citizen's questions of fact in a timely and reliable manner.
from Bob Yoder
ReplyDeleteDear City Representatives,
As for your Committee Meetings, I'm embarrassed to have to wait to hear from Mr. Haney (city attorney) for an answer on how the Council committee voting process works. Please direct me to a communications staff person, like other cooperating local jurisdictions do, to help me when I have a simple question of fact. The fact you are consulting with our city attorney confirms your committee voting process is wishy-washy,inconsistent and possibly tainted.
-edited email to mayor/council with cc to City Clerk, 9/17
I had to talk to four councilmembers and the city clerk to piece together an answer to simple question of fact! Citizens should have better. Citizens need a "Community Ombudsman" to organize and find answers to their questions and concerns!