03-23-2010 Council Work Session Packet

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��,,�� -+n v�<<��•�� :>. ��ot� Lakeshore Weeklj� Ne�ws � 1VIM � O E NTAR _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ ___ __ _ ___. . __ �� v 1-��-1 � ___.__ ____ ____ ___ -----_ ___ ____ ___._ .____ FARGO- MOc - 5A ND BAG- ( ' M A�C 1 -T AE �� I � O CO�O �CUUR C�t�.L g Pve had sunshine on my mind recently stuff," said Council Member Jim Murphy. � � and I'in not just thinking about the weath- But he said �n�hen he watches other cities' er. Last week was Sunshine Week,which is meetings he finds them boring. an annual effort led by the American Soci- "It's an excuse for people to sit at home ety of News Editors to encourage a dialogue and complain," said Murphy. He'd prefer about the importance of open government residents attend council meetings instead. and freedom of information. There was no shortage of residents at � �, i The timing of Sunshine Week was fitting meetings in recent weeks. But the standing ��'��`� /` as dust was settling on�the ruckus sur- r�om �niy crowd represents only a tiny frac- rounding The Emily Program's tion of the people living in the application to move to Orono. In city. recent meetings, neighbors, �� z;gp�:.� � Murphy speculated that if the W,,r,,, council inembers and others � `�_� �� council took a vote on whether to gave impassioned speeches �� ; tape council meetings, the coun- �- � about whether the eating disor- ;� �, cIl would approve it. But not with der clinic should Ue allowed in '� '�� his support. the city. � "Taping isn't all that it's But unless you were there,you � � �� ;� cracked up to be," said Murphy. � �E�� won't be able to watch what hap- '�`""""` The obvious reason to support pened at those meetings. Unlike ��'-'='� �-��—�� taping of the meetings� is the the majority of cities around ��itor gieater transparency it offers. But Lake Minnetonka, Orono doesn't Murphy said transparency can be �E�� record its meetings so people can view hard to define and is typically used with them. Instead, the city audio records the thinly veiled innuendo. � meetings. To me, transparency is siinply making it Environmental It isn't because of a lack in resources that easy to see what's going on. While Orono Orono's meeting go unrecorded. does all it is legally required to do in terms Trust Func� The city is one of 17 that are members of of open meeting law and other require- To the Editor: the Lake Minnetonka Communications ments, it could do more to make it easier for Recently the Minnesota Commission (LMCCI. The LMCC offers its residents to understand city business and House of Representatives services, at no additional cost to cities, to why decisions are being made. passed the Legislative Citizen record council meetings and air them on Orono Council Member poug Franchot, Commission on Minnesota local cable stations as well as stream them who represents the city on the LMCC board, Resources project proposals. online. Of the 17 member cities, four of said the city already operates with plenty The projects are funded using them choose not to record their meetings. of transparency. Environmental Trust Fund In addition to Orono, Minnetonka Beach, Like Murphy, he said that he's worried dollars, and I am concerned Woodland and Loretto have opted to avoid taping the meetings would discourage resi- that the House bill does not the airwaves. dents from attending. While he said he's not spend these dedicated funds No one I spol�e with last week could tell against the city taping the meetings, he said in the way Minnesota resi- me wl�en or why Orono made the decision. he doesn't support it either. dents expect them to be used. "They've been given the opportunity to Both Franchot and Murphy said that they The Environinental Trust do that if they choose," said Sally Koenecke, haven't given the topic a great deal of Fund was established by a LMCC's executive director. "On an ongoing thought. Because reside�ts aren't complain- constitutional amendment in basis we let them know they have the ing about the untelevised meetings, they 1988 "far the public pur�+ose opportunity." don't see a need to bring it up. of protection, conservation, But the council members I spoke with So residents of Orono, are you interested preservation and enhance- last week don't seem interested in changing in seeing your council in action? If so, now ment of the state's air,water, the city's course. would be a good time to speak up and ask land,fish,wildlife and other "I understand transparency and all that for sunshine. nattu-al resources." I question whether projects � like digital photograpl�y class- �-�r--c�rF��:-�� . - -