Ryan Restauro

Mr. Hawkins
American Gov't, Per. 1
12/3/13
City Council Meetin !valuation
Alt"ou" we "ave a #emocratic overnment an# we alrea#y see t"e $olitics t"at o on in %ront
o% our eyes, it's oo# to et u$ close an# $ersonal wit" our own local overnments to see "ow t"ey are
workin an# "ow t"ey make t"eir #ecisions. Atten#in a city council meetin is $er%ect %or t"is $ur$ose
&ecause you et to see t"e $eo$le w"o re$resent your city or town an# see "ow t"ey make #ecisions
t"at coul# en# u$ a%%ectin your #aily li%e an# t"e "omes an# &usinesses aroun# you an# wit"in your
city or town. ' atten#e# two city council meetins, mainly &ecause ' &elieve# one (ust wasn't enou"
an# also ' was actually somew"at intereste# in t"em an# wante# to see i% some o% t"e t"ins t"at were
s$oken a&out in %irst meetin woul# &e a##resse# in t"e secon# meetin. )"e only t"in ' #i#n't like
a&out t"e %irst meetin is t"at it was $retty lon. !ac" meetin starts at * P.M. an# t"en oes on until all
t"e issues are settle#. )"ere were twenty+si, issues to &e #iscusse# at t"is meetin an# it turne# out to
&e aroun# two "ours lon.
)"e %irst meetin was interestin, seein as t"at ' "a# never &een to a city council meetin
&e%ore, nor "a# ' known w"at t"e location looke# like an# w"o ' woul# &e seein. )"e location w"ere
t"e city council meetins are "el# are in an a#e-uately si.e# room t"at coul# %it a little less t"an 1//
$eo$le. )"e city council mem&ers sit in a crescent s"a$e# #esk t"at is in t"e %ront o% t"e room an# t"e
city clerk sits at t"e %ar le%t. ' was sur$rise# at t"e %act t"at i% a citi.en wante# to s$eak on an issue, t"ey
"a# to %ill out a $u&lic s$eaker car# an# t"en ive it to t"e city clerk, rat"er t"an (ust "avin to #o
somet"in more sim$le like raisin t"eir "an#. )"e meetins &ein wit" a s"ort $rayer %ollowin u$
wit" t"e $le#e o% alleiance. )"ere are t"en council, city manaer, an# city clerk re$orts. )"en t"ere's
usually a small $resentation o% a %ew su&(ects t"at relate to t"e city. A%ter t"e $resentations, t"ere's an
allotte# time %or citi.ens to $u&licly s$eak a&out items t"at aren't on t"e aen#a. A%ter t"e $u&lic
comments, t"e actual issues &ein to &e #iscusse#.
A%ter learnin %rom my mistakes o% w"at ' #i#n't #o or &rin to t"e %irst meetin, ' came
$re$are# %or t"e secon#. ' $rinte# out t"e aen#a &e%ore"an# 0alt"ou" it was $ointless &ecause ' %oun#
out t"at t"ey "ave co$ies o% t"e aen#a on a ta&le t"at's to t"e le%t as you walk in, &ut ' misse# it t"e
%irst time &ecause ''m &lin#1, ' &rou"t a &in#er an# note&ook to write on, an# ' looke# over t"e issues
to see w"at t"ey woul# &e talkin a&out so ' coul# %ollow alon. 2uckily, t"ere were only %ourteen
issues to &e #iscusse# at t"is meetin an# it only took a little over an "our. 3rom w"at ''ve o&serve# at
&ot" meetins, ' #o &elieve t"at t"e #ecisions are ma#e $retty #emocratically. )"ere will &e an issue at
"an#, an# t"en someone &rou"t u$ to e,$lain an# re$resent t"e issue, an# t"en t"e council mem&ers
will ask -uestions %or clari%ication an# t"en take a vote on w"et"er or not to a#o$t t"e resolution.
)"e $ositives to t"ese city council meetins is t"at t"ey $rovi#e a trans$arency %or t"e citi.ens
o% t"e city to see "ow t"eir local overnment %unctions an# "ow t"e council mem&ers make t"eir
#ecisions. )"e only neatives ' see is t"at not many $eo$le really s"ow u$ to o&serve t"ese meetins.
At &ot" o% t"e meetins, t"ere were a&out %orty to %i%ty $eo$le $resent. 4ome $eo$le woul# leave a%ter a
certain issue was #iscusse#. An# alt"ou" t"e meetins are televise# on ca&le on c"annel 2*, ' "i"ly
#ou&t t"at many citi.ens o% 3air%iel# actually tune in to watc" t"e meetins. Anot"er neative is t"at '
#on't &elieve citi.ens "ave too muc" time to $u&licly a##ress issues i% t"ey woul# like to. 5es, %ive
minutes soun#s like $lenty o% time, an# it is i% you're a&le to make your $oint s"ort an# concise6 &ut %or
t"ose may want to ela&orate on t"eir o$inion or an issue at "an# may not &e a&le to constrain t"eir
in%ormation to %ive minutes.
' #on't recall many o% t"e issues t"at were #iscusse# at t"e %irst meetin, &ut ' #o recall one issue
t"at was #iscusse# at &ot" meetins6 t"e a&an#onment o% s"o$$in carts aroun# 3air%iel#. )"is may not
seem like a &i issue, &ut ' assure you, it is. )ake a #rive aroun# 3air%iel# an# ' "i"ly #ou&t you'll &e
a&le to o %ar wit"out seein an a&an#one# s"o$$in cart or two. )"ese s"o$$in carts can $ose
"a.ar#s to t"e environment an# to $eo$le. 3irst o%%, a s"o$$in cart can't #ecom$ose i% it's le%t in a $ark
or woo#e# area. 4econ#ly, ''ve seen s"o$$in carts o&struct si#ewalks an# cause "assles %or $eo$le
tryin to walk on t"e si#ewalk or walk "ome %rom sc"ool. )"ey also $ose a tra%%ic "a.ar# i% t"ey role
into t"e street an# cause car acci#ents. 'ronically enou", ' "ave a s"o$$in cart in my &ackyar#
&ecause ' encountere# it w"ile walkin wit" some %rien#s an# ' #eci#e# 7Hey, ' can use t"is s"o$$in
cart %or somet"in.8 An# to t"is #ay, it sits in my &ackyar# "ol#in ran#om su$$lies.
2ike ' mentione# &e%ore, ' t"ink t"at more $eo$le s"oul# atten# t"eir local city council meetins
an# et a look into "ow t"eir local overnment works an# "ow t"eir city council makes t"eir #ecisions
an# "ow citi.ens are a&le to $u&licly a##ress issues.