[RP TownTalk] Talking to the Town: Two Proposals

[David Hiles]

Best wishes for the new year.

Two proposals for more open gov't and a more easily informed  
citizenry in our fair municipality:

1) Back in November, the Mayor made a few comments on TownTalk.  That  
was cool!  Maybe I'm a freak, but I'd like to see MORE Talk from our  
elected Town leaders on TownTalk.  Communicate with the lurking  
public, etc.

These elected guys and gals already "Talk" to the "Town" multitudes  
at the council meetings, so maybe we have sufficient  
"TownTalk" (TalkTown?) going on through that venue.  But, maybe not.   
I miss out on that great part of "TownTalk" because I'm not at those  
meetings and I don't have cable.  Since I'm not there, they aren't  
Talking to me.  Or if they are, I can't hear them.  Anyway, I would  
like to be able to keep abreast of town matters in an efficient,  
modern manner.  It would be great if people like me could keep up  
without _having_ to go to the meetings.

2) How about this?  Start posting the council meeting draft (and  
final) minutes on TownTalk.  If  that proves too intrusive, set up  
another mail list (like that Ward 1 Electioneering list!) and post  
the minutes there. The minutes are already being typed into Word, so  
it should be straightforward and not too much more work.  That way,  
the Town would be Talking to the over 90 members of this list, not  
just the many people at the meetings.  It would be another way to do  
something about being an open, accessible government.  Of course,  
some times some list members would Talk Back to the Town, but that  
should be OK too.

I'd like to see draft minutes soon after the meeting, like within two  
business days.  If they were identified as draft, then great.   Busy- 
but-interested people could keep somewhat misinformed on a timely  
basis.  Waiting until the minutes were approved would add way too  
much delay (and little meaningful correction) to the process.   
Approved minutes should of course also be posted as they become  
available.

I'd like this to start happening imperfectly soon, rather than wait  
for some excellent implementation a year from now.  Sometimes  
imperfection is an impetus to virtue.

WE are who we have been waiting for.
http://riverdalepark.blogspot.com/