The Need for Change: Open Government

Published on Oct. 24, 2012 in the Sun-Gazette

Many of Lindsay’s problems have been described as resulting from Scot Townsend’s administration and this City Council’s oblivion.  But the biggest problem in Lindsay is its closed form of government, which has grown even tighter under Rich Wilkinson’s management, completely with the Council’s blessing.        
Where this is easiest to see is in the rules for public participation at city council meetings.  These rules are found in two places: on the agenda packet cover sheet under “Citizen Participation in Meetings” and on the agenda itself.
When Rich was appointed interim city manager, the cover sheet was spiffed up and the wording made to look inviting.  Citizens - in fact, any member of the public - could 1) speak during the three minute public comment period; 2) ask to have items removed from the consent agenda and be discussed and voted on separately; 3) speak to items on the agenda during their discussion; and 4) place an item on the agenda by contacting the city clerk.
Mayor Ed Murray did not operate the meetings according to those rules (advised repeatedly by City Attorney Julia Lew that it’s Council’s discretion,) but at least the wording was there suggesting otherwise. That is, the words were there until the public started trying to use the rules.
It was during the park renovation controversy when words started disappearing. Last fall a plan for renovating the park, designed by Pam Kimball’s nephew Steven, was approved by the Council.  One of the largest features was Sierra View Avenue Extension, which dissected the park and the community center, paving over 1/3 of the park’s remaining land. When citizens who wanted public input on the park’s redesign asked to be put on the agenda, they were told they couldn’t. When they asked to have items removed from the consent calendar or to speak during an agenda item’s discussion, they were denied.  When they pointed out the words saying they could to Mayor Ed and the rest of the council, the words disappeared before the next meeting.
In fact, the only real way to “participate” has been during the 3-minute public comment period, during which the Council does not need to respond.  This leaves those brave enough to speak their minds with the sense they’ve just talked to the wall. Which they have.
The possibilities for change, however, were demonstrated beautifully two weeks ago at the Candidates Forum held by the Dolores Huerta Foundation. The audience held people from both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking portions of our community. The event was translated simultaneously from English to Spanish by Brenda Cervantes, a certified translator, through earphone equipment loaned by United Way of Tulare County.
I watched Brenda quickly crafting Spanish sentences from English ones, watched Spanish-speaking people attentively following the proceedings. Yet when our incumbents - Murray, Kimball and Velasquez - were asked if having the Council meetings translated was something they’d consider, all three essentially said “no,” saying it’s too expensive and/or not necessary.
Our new candidates - Daubert, Mecum and Sanchez - had different answers. They know how necessary it is, and how expensive keeping people in the dark has been. They’ve also learned where the closed doors of this city need to be opened, and want to get more of us walking through them. Lindsay may have always been like this - shut tight - but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Vote open the doors.
-Trudy Wischemann is an open-government advocate who writes.  You can send her your translations of what this all means - P.O. Box 1374, Lindsay CA 93247.
- This column is not a news article but the opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of The Foothills Sun-Gazette newspaper.