Dang! No Fairhaven Neighborhood News online this A.M. I mean it is Thursday morning. Usually I electronically flip through the pages and find some tidbit to inspire the muse in me. How can one be expected to exhibit any kind of flair without proper inspiration?
I even scrolled through Facebook, hoping to find something to pop out at me. I guess I need to actual get a fb friend.
Okay, so why not continue a bit with the comment from "The Code" on Tuesday's Blog.
I hear town-wide goals being proclaimed by some committees about particular matters, but never seen the meetings or minutes of public meetings, seeking general input, BEFORE, policies are made.
There are certainly some town wide goals that warrant general input before policies are made. Indeed it would be beneficial from both a political and implementation standpoint to involve people before the fact on most things. I would note however that I am specifically talking about public policy matters.
Certainly posting of notices and minutes, while procedural and legal in nature, are nonetheless things that impact the public to a significant degree.
Where I get a bit stymied is not knowing whether one feels this should apply to every decision on policy on every matter. I am not sure whether I am just not thinking clearly on this because I am still on my first cup of coffee, or it is really a bit of a tangled web.
Operational policy is another matter, although input should be sought and paid attention to if one intends to implement an effective policy.
Operational policy is another matter, although input should be sought and paid attention to if one intends to implement an effective policy.
Anyone implementing or intending to implement a policy should be seeking out general input by those to be affected. Just common sense really. That does not automatically equate to a mandatory discussion with every single person to be affected. It also does not necessitate a public hearing on every policy decision (although certainly the discussion and decision needs to take place in a public meeting); and, quite frankly certain policy decisions on operations shouldn't be dictated by consensus.
It would be interesting to know however just how much autonomy one would be willing to give up to be able to put some teeth into ensuring compliance with a policy.
Will have to come back on this one I guess. I just seem to be running in circles at the moment.
It would be interesting to know however just how much autonomy one would be willing to give up to be able to put some teeth into ensuring compliance with a policy.
Will have to come back on this one I guess. I just seem to be running in circles at the moment.
Running circles around the answer maybe. Chain of command.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the town is going to implement online permits from every department, evidently a new policy in the works, if we can't even trust the same departments to update a calendar with links to updated agendas!
Sorry my mind isn't always in top condition to deal with you scatter gun points. As far as giving everyone access to edit, if you can't figure out the recipe for that particular disaster, so be it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the online permitting, perhaps you can enlighten us as to exactly why the steps taken to date aren't the proper ones, and tell us exactly what should be done? Given some specifics, even I should be able to address them without an extra cup of coffee.
Simply, one person in every department needs to have admin rights to this one document. It's not EVERYONE. Nice try. I trust that each department has one employee capable to handle this task. And do it every time it needs to be done to update the calendar with agenda. We currently have 6 people with admin rights. We need to up that a wee bit. Short of EVERYONE old-school!
ReplyDeleteDon't know the online permitting policy yet. Do you? Please explain it to me. But if you assume the town is going to undertake a 50K grant for the online permitting, then I think you need to assume more than the current 6 people will need to be able to interface with the town website.
My point is and will continue to be that someone needs to be in charge and ensure every department consistently complies to the extent possible. No need to be mediaocre.
Explain to me exactly why every department needs administrative rights to post to the town website calendar? You obviously have specific examples of how the present process isn't working, so why not give them? Personally, it is becoming clear this isn't about "every department" having the right, it is about someone who doesn't.
ReplyDeleteThere is is huge difference between setting up an interactive program and providing administrative rights.
I will rely on the tried and proven too many chefs spoil the soup.
I would love to see a system in place where someone was in charge to see consistent compliance. You willing to see one put in place?
Thanks for your interest in this important ongoing public topic.
ReplyDeleteIt is simply that departments and committees have someone in charge of their agenda, currently. That person needs appropriate rights to that calendar. If they are ill, etc. someone else needs rights. If someone makes a mistake, they merely mess up a calendar item until it is quickly fixed. The good outweighs the minimal downside.
This is what we are doing right now, almost. Except it is in Scattered fashion. When you click on the calendar items, a page opens and you are given the same info you knew before you clicked on it. Not too helpful. It should link directly to the agenda requested. Try the Town of Dartmouth and you will see something pretty close, but still rough. I'm sure, with a little more dialogue with Virtual TownHall, someone will see the light. If we are going to pay for all the chefs we currently have, they all need to comply and prepare their special plate. Whoever that unlucky person is, they have the responsibility over their department’s agenda and needs to ensure consistency, week after week. Otherwise the public is skeptical when they perceive you are purposely hiding a particular meeting agenda. Agreed? Eventually it all works and government has stepped up in a major way in public trust. Maybe in a few years we are relieved of stapling paper to plywood.
I went to a small mom and pop breakfast in Freetown the other day and the teen waitress took my order on her phone and texted it to the kitchen! No government study. No consultants. Same old chef!
Online video is being offered solely because of the hard work of the Director of the Government Access Channel, Meaghen Blasingame. She says it all in the home page.
FAIRHAVEN GOVERNMENT ACCESS MISSION
To provide quality programming to the citizens of Fairhaven that educates and informs about town government issues.
To provide live coverage and rebroadcasts of board and committee meetings.
To provide the public with information about local government workings.
To inform people about local issues and create educated voters.
Tying the calendar to the online video would be what others are already doing as well. Someone at the top of the chain needs to constantly monitor and nudge those who would rather minimumly comply with a staple gun. In case you haven’t noticed I am not that top, but thanks.