The existentialism of the simple task of Westminster city officials posting an agenda for its council meetings in a timely manner
September 8, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff
After an e-mail to a city official earlier in the day; for which I never did get a response, the city of Westminster has finally posted an agenda on the city’s web site.
Heck, I’m just not sure what their rush was – the agenda was posted at approximately 3:22 pm. The meeting is 3 ½ hours away…
Since 2005 the city of Westminster has added two new positions – a city manager and a director of administration at an annual cost to the taxpayer of over $200,000 and yet the city can’t manage to get an council meeting agenda posted timely – or adopt a budget or have an annual audit performed on a timely basis.
The city spent anywhere from $20,000 to over $40,000, depending on whose version of the story suits your fancy, to move some offices to a rented building from City Hall and other offices from the rented building back over to City Hall; in order to provide better services. It was, in reality, rearranging the deck chairs on The Titanic. And yet the city all-too frequently can’t get an agenda posted on a timely basis.
The city increased taxes, increased the size of government, has borrowed money like there is no tomorrow and is actively discussing cutting back on city services – in order to serve us better. And yet the city seems to have a great deal of difficulty in posting an agenda on a timely basis on a web site that is so woefully inadequate and opaque, it often seems like the city resents even having a web site…
Web sites can be difficult as I am all too aware; however in theory, a web site is no longer an afterthought or a bother, it is a critical information dissemination resource in today’s governance. Then again there are many folks who find current Westminster government so opaque, unapproachable, and inaccessible, that the web site is probably emblematic of a government that all too often seems too annoyed by citizen contact to be bothered with disseminating information.
After-all, our elected officials are some of the smartest folks in the world – and they certainly know what is best for us; so having meaningful contact with the public is probably unnecessary now isn’t it?
I’m glad that Westminster citizens work for such an august group of elitists. It gives us a purpose in our backward shabby meager existence.
Related:
20071130 City municipal offices relocate by Ryan Marshall
20080611 No agenda is sign of poor government
20080720 Carroll County Times Westminster shutting out the public
20080908 Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner
