10/28/1991 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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. e Mr. Boles said the council should be notified of any violations or negligence by staff in regard to citizen involvement. In response to council questions, City Manager Mike Gleason said any such complaint can be filed and find remedy with the State statutes. Concerning the request for proposal process, Ms. Morrow stated that when businesses are involved, sometimes it is not the public's right to be informed. Mr. Nicholson questioned whether this would compromise citizen involvement. Mayor Miller said the public need not be informed if that is contrary to prudent business practice. In answer to council's questions, Ms. Morrow said the CIC would examine past practices to help the council decide if an issue requires high or low-level involvement. She added that the CIC is not able to examine the public information process concerning every City issue. Mr. Boles said there were several ways staff could encounter problems in their public involvement process: 1) by omission, when an issue is not brought to staff or the CIC, 2) if an issue is thought to be low-intensity and turns out to be high-intensity, and 3) if a citizen involvement component is drafted and then not acted on. He added that staff procedures must be reviewed. Mayor Miller said a routine needs to be developed by staff. He added that the council should be part of the public process and also have a routine to follow in regard to issues concerning citizen involvement. Mr. Boles said departmental staff should be asked whether the CIe is a valuable part of the information process. Ms. Morrow stated that the eIe is at a e different level of the process than the council. Ms. Ehrman arrived at 7:15 p.m. Ms. Bascom asked whether the council was doing its job regarding involving the public and identifying problems before they evolve. Ms. Morrow said the CIC has debated whether its role should be expanded. Mr. Boles said that presently the council chooses which issues are sent to the CIe for evaluation. Mr. MacDonald said the CIC guidelines serve to provide back-up for staff and council members. Mayor Miller said since public hearings have not been an effective means of involving citizens, it is necessary to have a routine that can be followed so that certain citizen groups are not neglected. Ms. Morrow said it is difficult to guess the scale of public involvement necessary for certain issues. City Manager Mike Gleason said the eIe creates a democratic response. He said it is important for the council to process issues of controversy in order to avoid the public's anger. He added that the eIe offers a good communication service that reflects the citizens views. He said staff and the CIC could be more effective if they had more resources. Mr. Boles said citizens should be involved early in any process to avoid anger. Mr. Nicholson said desired outcomes should not become rooted before the public becomes involved. e MINUTES--City Council October 28, 1991 Page 4