How do we achieve a more open and transparent government in Montville Township? Can it be done in a way that does not drain the pockets of the taxpayer? How can we ensure that this goal is accomplished once everyone agrees this should be a priority for the Township Committee? If these questions are not asked and answered, we risk keeping transparency and open government a concept, and not something that can and should be delivered.
I firmly believe that Montville residents should have access to as much information as possible in order to help them develop informed opinions. So how do we do this?
- Pass an ordinance that establishes a set of action items for the business administrator and the TC, along with a timetable for delivery. This ordinance, at a minimum, should call for an outline of the tools we need to develop to deliver information to the public, and a date for each to be implemented.
- Once the outline of deliverables has been established, each and every item on that list must have a delivery date - no exceptions.
Why put this in an Ordinance (a new law)? Because we do not want to see this on a priority list that can change over time, and inadvertently slip through the cracks as other issues crop up that require attention. If the ordinance is put together in a thoughtful manner (as it should be), we can "guarantee" a more open and transparent municipal government.
How can we deliver more information? Here are a few items that can facilitate the delivery of certain types of information the public is asking for:
- Webcast all public meetings - rather than televise township committee meetings (which really isn't a viable option), we could "broadcast" the meeting via a website and then "archive" (save) the video on our website. You would have the option to view it "live" via the internet, or just click on the archived video on the website when you have the free time to watch.
- Provide access to the same information the TC has at their disposal during the meeting - sometimes it gets difficult to follow the discussions on the dais because the audience does not have the documents the TC is using to form their views. Summary documents can be posted on the website and printed by the residents prior to the meeting. There are other ways to deliver this info during the meeting, but I will let the Mr. Braden expand on these ideas (since they are his) in the proper forum (I really like the ideas, but it's not my place to introduce them on my Blog).
- Scanning and posting all contracts, major expense items and budgets - again, this would be part of a new section of our website, and we should all have access to this information. Since the budget and the annual audit contain hundreds of pages of information, we should also create an easy to read summary of the expense and revenue items. If residents want to "drill down" to the details, they can have access to the entire document, but summary sections should be the starting point (I think even the TC members might enjoy the summary too!).
- Feedback loop - OK, so now you have access to all this information. How are you going to use it to make a difference? Participation during the public portion of the meetings has always,and will always be an option. There should be, however, a way for Montville residents to ask questions and have both the question and answer posted on our website, particularly if the same question is being asked by many residents. This idea needs to be thought through a bit more, but the concept of a forum type interrogatory between Town hall and the community has merit and should be considered.
These are a few starting points, and they clearly require further discussion and input from both the community and the TC. ...but you have to start somewhere...
MORE TO FOLLOW over the next week.
Here is how NOT to deliver transparency and open government to the people:
http://scott4montville.blogspot.com/2010/08/rumors-and-misinformation-how-to-create.html
A BLOG post from August
No comments:
Post a Comment