Opening the 2008 Radio Interviews With Open Government

We hope the theme for Geneva in 2008 is open government. That was the theme for our opening radio appearance of the year on 1240AM WGVA. We praised the Quality Communities committee for hosting a really excellent public forum on the lakefront’s future (another open mic session will be held Tuesday, 2/12 at 6:30pm at North Street School). Capraro summarized the majority of comments made and drew attention to some of the unique ideas that only come from a broad-based brainstorming session of this sort. To hear more about them, click here.

Discussion about the lakefront meeting occupied most of our time with host Ted Baker; and with good reason. Now that our community is mobilized and participating, what’s important is that Bergmann and the Committee pay attention to what folks are saying: no gated communities, no condos, no further privatization, closer connections with downtown, and more public access to the lakefront.

We were able to say just a few words about the status of the city manager search. Again, this is a situation where public meetings make all the difference. By throwing the process wide open to the public, Mayor Einstein brought out many city residents who have a vision for Geneva’s next manager that would certainly move us in the right direction. The residents who came out to the six meetings took their charge seriously. They asked good questions and offered great suggestions for how the city might select amongst candidates.

It was good to see Councilors interacting with their constituents and taking their concerns to heart. These meetings were another giant leap towards better government for Geneva. Significantly, and for the record, Councilors D’Amico, Valentino, O’Malley, and Augustine agreed that, as far as they were concerned, the February 1st application deadline is only a guideline and not a rigid deadline for apps. As Councilor Valentino stated, “It’s not the deadline that matters, it’s finding the right person that matters.”

In referencing our post about the search rumors, we emphasized the need for candid discussion about rumors that could undermine the process. Given the previous administration’s tendency to leave the public in the dark, it is critically important that every action of the new council be an open book. Any widespread cloud of suspicion carries with it the risk of tarnishing even the best efforts to do the right thing. So, rather than trying to suppress a rumor and hope it will go away, it’s better to treat it aggressively. Open it up for discussion and examination and let the sun shine in. Then people can ‘move on.'

All of our radio interviews, including this most recent one, can be accessed via the No Strings Document Library. Click on 'Radio Archive.'