The Peanut Gallery Revisited

Several of you have visited a meeting of the Water District to voice concerns, as did both AK and I before we were elected to the Board. AK and I had referred to the area where we were asked to sit as "The Peanut Gallery" -- off to the side of the tables arranged in a large square where the Board Members and the various consultants (engineer, tax office rep, bookkeeper, attorney, etc.) sat. On every agenda there is a designated time at the beginning of the meeting to hear public comments. That is when us 'peanuts' were allowed to speak.

Well, I titled this post "The Peanut Gallery Revisited" for a reason. I have recently completed a training through the Attorney General's Office about the Open Meetings Act. Believe it or not, the point of allowing the public to attend meetings of government bodies, which has elected representatives, is so that they can watch their reps in action. I was always frustrated that I was not allowed to ask questions or make comments when something interesting was being discussed after the 'public comments' moment was over. But you know what? That's proper!

The purpose of the meeting is to conduct the business of the District. And, if it were to get bogged down with a lot of comments and questions from folks like me, who took a determined interest in their local government, but didn't really understand what the business actually entailed, it would be difficult to get through all the items on the agenda. So relegating me to be a 'peanut' was appropriate -- but only during the called meetings.

If you ever come to one of the District meetings, I hope you will understand that the amount of time and attention that can be devoted to public comments is quite limited. BUT I don't want you to feel like a peanut! Please, let me know your concerns by e-mailing me at jroot@wcid89.org and I will continue to blog here to keep you informed on the decisions we make. Together we can address the issues that you have made clear are important.