City TV

           

            The Open Meetings law is NOT a new dilemma in Cascade, though a senior citizen admitted that he didn't recall then-Mayor Clay Gavin filing suit on the rest of council over off-the-record meetings and agreements in the early 90s.

            Gavin hired a lawyer out of his own pocket, lost the case, and has not run for city office since. He confided to me at the time that  his lawyer told him judges don't like to interfere in local politics. Or sentiments to that effect.

            Councilman Bill Hosch's efforts to force meeting notifications and recording minutes may lead to more front-end openness, but unfortunately probably NOT less policy made by the city oligarchy.

            It was noteworthy that during the discussion of Mr. Hosch's consultation with the city attorney Mayor Henry made certain that the law didn't require meetings be televised. I can see why: this allows  committee and council members to come to meetings with policies, i.e. the grocery store, buying Reiff Ambulance, sidewalk expenditures, or infrastructure already formulated in private. So ones like mine for a city market never get considered.

             At an early Sidewalk Committee meeting we were presented a figure of $50,000, told this is what council would accept, (How was that ascertained?) and my efforts to call that figure into question since have been shut down decisively. If committee meetings were televised (as the Council that installed the system intended), more ideas could be considered. Mayor Henry is undoubtedly correct that many too expensive and unworkable plans would be the result. That's democracy.

            We all know people don't have time for more meetings; we need to get into the modern era and televise every one that considers city ANY business.