SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 29, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/2/15
In this edition:
*Iowa City Council Procedures
*Representing Iowa City
*Quality of Life Event
*THINK Before You Speak!
*Did You Know?
*Iowa City Council Procedures
I
wrote a while ago about the Charter Review process happening right now in Iowa
City. The Charter Review Commission recommended some changes to the structure
of Iowa City government. But nothing earth shattering. (In the interest of full
disclosure, I applied to serve on the Charter Review Commission in ’94, ’04,
and ’14. I have received zero votes so far. I plan on applying in ’24 as well.)
That should not deter supporters of improved governance, however.
There are several other ways of doing business that need a change, and do not
require a commission. Following are just a few:
1.) Hold informal meetings immediately
after formal meetings. The way things work now, informal meetings are held
immediately prior to formal meetings. Informal meetings are critical – this is
where city staff make their recommendations, 99% of which are followed. So
under the current system, items are introduced and voted upon on the same
evening. If a council member wanted to do her own research, there is no
opportunity. If the public wanted to weigh in, there is no opportunity. By
reversing this order, the public gets two weeks to weigh in, and the council
gets two weeks to hear from folks. This CAN be done; Johnson County does it
now.
2.) Broadcast informal meetings. We
already noted that these meetings are really where information is shared and
decisions are made. This process SHOULD be as public as possible. So why not
put it on TV for all to see? The only reason I’ve ever been given is that
councilors will not want to appear uninformed, so they won’t ask questions. That
may be the single worst reason I have ever been given for any policy, but there
you go. Again, this CAN be done; Johnson County does it now.
3.) Allow public discussion at informal
meetings. Contrary to what council members and staff would have you believe,
there is no legal prohibition on public comment at these meetings. The council
can set any parameters on public comment it wishes. The council can determine
the number of speakers, length of time each speaks, total comment time – it can
do anything it wishes. The law allows many different approaches. You CAN allow
public comment. Again, this CAN be done; Johnson County does it now.
There
is no compelling reason for the way Iowa City currently handles these matters.
All three of these procedures are the classic “that is the way we’ve always
done it.” That is not a good enough reason for skirting democracy.
Each of these simple changes is cheap, efficient, and friendlier
toward democracy. None would require anything beyond a vote of the council.
I am hoping to introduce these ideas into the 2015 Iowa City
Council election; I hope you will assist me. Let’s get every candidate to
pledge to make these changes, and open up Iowa City government.
*Representing Iowa City
I
have gotten a bit of feedback from folks who get indignant that I would comment
on anything related to Iowa City government. “You don’t represent Iowa City,” I
was told. Obviously, I disagree with this for several reasons:
First,
I can comment because our Constitution affords me freedom of speech. Secondly,
I live in Iowa City. Thirdly, even if I didn’t live there, how Iowa City
operates has a big impact on my job. Fourthly, I actually DO – literally -
represent “Iowa City”.
That
got me thinking, so I did some quick research. I have run for office 6 times –
3 Democratic Primaries, and 3 General Elections. I added up the Iowa City vote
totals for those elections, and it totals just a touch above 85,000.
A
heavy turnout election in an Iowa City Council Election will see the winner get
5,000 votes. In other words, the Iowa City officials who think I “don’t
represent Iowa City” would need to run and win 17 elections to get the same
number of votes from Iowa City residents.
So
while it is true I routinely get few votes from Iowa City Council members, the
rest of the people of Iowa City seem to feel differently.
*Quality of Life Event
The
Johnson County Board of Supervisors cordially invites you to its third annual
event: “Enhancing Quality of Life in Johnson County: A Celebration of Community
Partners” Monday, June 8 at the Johnson County Health and Human Services
Building. A reception with light refreshments starts at 4:30 pm with a short
program at 5:00.
Please
join the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in recognizing and thanking the
organizations that receive a grant of county funds. The impact those
organizations make on the people of Johnson County is a significant contributor
to our community’s quality of life.
Please
contact Mickey Miller, grants and communications specialist, at 319-356-6000 or
mmiller@co.johnson.ia.us if you have any questions. We look forward to
seeing you!
*THINK Before You Speak!
I
found the following on Facebook a while ago, and I really like it. I have
reposted it there, and I thought I’d share it here:
"Remember T.H.I.N.K. before you speak. Is it true? Is it
helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?"
Unfortunately, lots
of people I deal with do not observe these rules. I cannot control what they
do, but I promise to try to do better myself.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson County contributes over $1.2 million in block grants each year.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
If you do NOT
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If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 5:16 PM
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