Tonight after the city council meeting a couple of people mentioned how much they appreciated having the full council packets - all the information provided to councilmembers for their consideration as they consider each item - online prior to the meetings. I don't think we have done a very good job of letting people know about this.

At the link below click on "agenda" and a summary agenda sheet appears with each item surrounded by a blue rectangle. Clicking within that rectangle brings up scanned versions of all background materials - actual proposed resolutions and ordinances, prior action by MPC, etc. on relevant items, drawings and sketches, and so on. For items submitted by the administration the first page or two is what we call an Agenda Information Sheet (AIS) which is prepared by the sponsoring dept. This summarizes the item, the reason for it, impact, prior action. etc. We have found that it helps council to have this sheet, and it helps us internally in putting the agenda together.

Unfortunately all of this has to be scanned as PDF, which makes some downloading rather laborious, but it is all there to be looked at while viewing on Ch 12 or to print selected items of interest in their entirety prior to the meeting. In my opinion this makes city government significantly more transparent and accessible than it has been and well worth the city's time to prepare and make available.

I know there are some downsides to technology, but I have to remind myself that this sort of application gives citizens unprecedented access to the decision-making process and provides information that had been a lot harder to come by, especially prior to government action. Anyway, I suggest browing the agenda and checking on an item or two, and checking on the Friday before the next council meeting. Thanks.

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