Who Wants to Know?
ByCouncil was in rare form during the last televised meeting for the month of June, 2009. One of the subjects that was front and center was moving forward with securing a Public Opinion Outreach Service.
For those of you who may remember this conversation from last year (July, 2008), this is where the city hires a professional polling company to go out and ask the citizens a series of questions with the intent of trying to figure out what the citizens want. Now, I know what you may be thinking, “Isn’t that part of being a DuPont city council member? You know, acting as representative of the people in the community?”
Evidently not.
If you listen to some of the comments made in the videos provided you will hear the gamut of excuses and justifications around the council’s current methods of seeking input and communication. More about that later.
You saw a man alone, in the visage of Roger Westman, trying in vain to provide input to his colleagues. Pay close attention to the six remaining council members and the mayor’s reaction to Mr. Westman’s suggestions and research. It is nearly a blueprint for the treatment of individual citizens who dare to offer constructive opinion (or, destructive opinion; City Hall’s reaction is mostly the same).
You get the passive-aggressive “thank you” then the questioning of motive followed by the bullying striving for consensus. It is an illusion that anything but the party line is welcome in the hallowed halls of the Civic Center.
I will also begrudgingly say that I can see the majority’s point. It may be too late for a citizens’ advisory committee, but whose fault is that? The council wanted nothing to do with any other input during the months from the conclusion of the Fire Task Force to the last failed levy attempt. To argue differently would be disingenuous. I guess it is true, the City only acts when in crisis mode (as shown with the previous post on Fire and Police communications equipment).
So, I will agree with Council members Coffey, Marin, Wilcox, Ehrenreich, Trotter, the other guy, and the Mayor that the time has come to hire a professional firm; but only because the city has shown in the past eleven months that is completely incapable of effectively communicating at all.
Same can be said for the nine other years I have lived here.
While the overbearing majority of council and city staff may treat councilman Westman as a leper, they do so at their own personal and political risk. After all, the citizens have overwhelmingly supported Westman’s position on the last three levy attempts.
This could suggest that either Roger Westman is right or that the city truly sucks in getting their point and intentions across to the citizens of DuPont.
Or, perhaps both.
But don’t say that to council members Marin or Trotter. Both feel that City Hall does a good job of reaching the citizens. Vicky Marin thinks that the city newsletter and city web site serves as effective communication for the city to its citizens.
I guess I am just not seeing it. The website where you have to click through endlessly to find something that may be outdated or the newsletter that tells you nothing more than bags are provided for pet fecal waste and that it may be National Bike Helmet Week. Hardly stating a problem and position. Does anyone on council actually write for the newsletter, Ms. Marin?
Council member Trotter dared to breach the subject of the lack of citizens venturing to city hall to speak to council. I am personally so tired of this argument. Evidently it has not occurred to Ms. Trotter that the disenfranchised stopped bothering to show up or writing emails.
Look no further that the archive of public comment for the last year. On numerous occasions the mayor will handle a request or grievance by deferring it to Bill McDonald or some other staff flunky. “I am going to ask the Mr. McDonald step up a meeting with you regarding _____” is a frequent refrain but does it ever dawn on the Mayor or council that the rest of the citizens are left in the dark about the content of that meeting or the mitigation to the issue?
Think narrow streets and parking. Did the city ever publicly state what their plans were after citizens bothered to write or speak for their allotted three minutes?
You get the picture.
John Ehrenreich is perhaps the member of council who befuddles me the most. He had the gall to still grouse that a majority of citizens did not bother to vote. This was after Jason Pierce, citizen and council candidate, offered the data on ‘off cycle’ election turn out. John also famously declared that he was elected to make the “tough decisions” during last July’s council meeting where the possibility of getting citizen data through polling was enthusiastically discussed. John was a champion of the idea that somehow withered and bore only the fruit of a defeated ballot initiative.
From July, 2008; then, John was aligned with Roger Westman in this video clip, even mentioned the AWC, yet his leadership consisted of succumbing to the orthodoxy of the majority and rejoining the herd.
A regular Casey at the bat, John.
Larry Wilcox was of the opinion that the city needed an outside firm because the town regarded some members of council biased. Of course, he failed to acknowledge who would grant the funds for such a study and ultimately who would “interpret” the “statistically valid” data. Yup, you guessed it: City Hall.
Which brings us back to Roger Westman’s obsession with Citizen Advisory Committees. Perhaps he knows first hand the size of the chasm between citizens and City Hall; and, the more I hear the comments, read the body language, and search for meaning from the majority, maybe we do need some separation between the City and the firm presenting the results.
Now that we are in this for $25,000 of taxpayer money I think I have taken a fancy to the idea of a professional pollster.
But with a caveat, as follows:
- I would like to see a resolution passed, prior to the questions conceived, that the Mayor and Council will be bound to the survey results.
- I would like the questions on the survey to be conceived entirely by citizens (or, just me).
- I would like the citizens to be presented with the data and statistical interpretation prior to any member of City Hall.
- I would like the results to be published in the City newsletter and the Home Town Clipper.
I am not holding my breath.
Before the survey, I will write some questions of my own. Questions I have had for a while. Let’s see if they want to answer those questions first.
Let me see, I vote for representatives who are so out of touch, they need to hire a vendor for $25K to figure out what the citizens want?
I don’t buy it, something is fishy here.
Perhaps the hired firm will tell us that the citizens really want to merge their fire dept with Lakewood, and THEN people will vote yes to higher taxes.
Love the videos RealDuPont, you always seem to know what I’m thinking because you write it over screen as I am thinking it.
I wonder what the $25K will buy us. Some very nice power point slides I suppose.
Council looks everywhere else for answers except within. Why wasn’t this done last year as the last video suggests? We will never know because the city never came back with a reason. Or was it in the newsletter I missed?
Surveys and statistics can both be manipulated. Why should the people believe a survey’s outcome? Especially when the vendor will ultimately be answering to the entity that signed the check.
Hey council, why not work on your credibility first then you can write all the surveys you want. Based on Ehrenreich’s comments from last year to this year, I would say they have a long way to go.
The city has already proven that they are able to reach out of the community. Last weekend they hosted a party for half of the citizens. Unfortunately for the city, it was the half of the population that does not vote here.
Who the hell does John E think he is saying he wants to spend twice the amount on surveys? I think driving a BMW would help me in my job but if I asked my employer for one I would be out on my ear. Why isn’t anyone running against this clown?
RBS,
I predict TV Land could do some damage this fall with a write in ballot campaign. The double speak with do nothing actions are just maddening.
Did you see that Linda Cumberbatch is running against Roger Westman? She was the one who headed up the readerboard initiative and solving the communication issues with the community in 2006. Look where she got us today!
Both of us are full of it, good ideas that is quick to spend TAX dollars in any way or amount that makes us happy. We are here to make the hard decision’s as long as we do not have to be held responseable . Vote for us for this same great team work and hard decision making $$$$$ at a cost. LETS DOUBLE DOWN or TAG TEAM the problems tv land.
BOTH OF THOSE GUYS HAVE A WICKED CHECK SWING, NO FOLLOW-THRU
TALK A GOOD GAME THOUGH
CHOOSE WISELY TV LAND, THE DECISION IS NOT SO TUFF
I wish more citizens would speak at council meetings. It is entertaining to watch the city pretend to listen.
I suppose the lady running agaist Westman is hand picked by the rest of the eye rounding council of morons that can’t get along. We pay for retreats for these losers so they can pretend to listen and roll there eyes at the citizens. Councilman Westman is the only good thing on that council hopefully we can add more .
Help Wanted,
You are right on with the hand picked statement. Already the Mayor, and others are endorsing Linda cause she will follow right inline with all the rest. We need more people that can think on their own on council, unlike the majority of those that are already there.
Credibility needs to be explored in this survey. Council continues to circle the wagons around city hall and takes a defensive posture with the community. There is a perception of little or no progress on initiatives made by the council or asked about by citizens.
What have they done to advocate the interest of the community? For example, we never hear back with a plan of action or how city hall will close the issues brought forth during public comment. Could City Hall begin to address the communication problems by publishing those questions and the final response in their city newsletter?
City Hall 101 how woulda thunk IT!
Lets see what happens tonight. Will any of the previous questions asked be addressed. I’ve heard street painting will be addressed by Larry Wilcox, we shall see.
If Larry is going to bring anything up, it will only be after his wife reads a pre-coached statement and then he will say that it is the voice of the people. Next week though he will tell the citizentry that he needs no input from us, since he was elected to make the “tough” choices for us.
The council and mayor make their job more difficult than they have to be. They act like they are running Tacoma or Olympia. It is a small town folks, don’t complicate things. One year they have been talking about a survey. One year they have been talking about parking and fire truck ergress. One year about painting crosswalks on McNeil. Even longer for a skate park or electronic sign. Every one in this meeting is simply not getting it done.
$50,000 on a survey John? Data means nothing if you do nothing with it.
People have come before you time and time again, and you what appears to be NOTHING with insight and inputs you get from voters who take the time to give you 3 minutes of their input.
So now you think you can spend $25,000 and fast forward to the easy answer? Is this going to be an annual spend to replace any other form of two way communication?
Roger wants to roll up his sleeves and forge a new method of reaching out to the community, but the rest of you people on council want to push a button and make it all disappear. Guess what, it won’t!
By the time the survey results are in, you will find yourself doing nothing as usual, and it will all blow up in your faces for being so righteous about spending our money (on nothing).
I like the little back and forth that took place between our representatives, it was a little one sided, but it is a start.
Next, they need to take that energy and direct it toward city hall when things are not moving along well, like now.
Where are the fire department call logs for the last 5 months from the new B.S easy to understand software system they are installing on the fire dept webb site. What was the cost of this any way. Why don’t they use the old system .How do we trust these people with are money or are safety. DO a F-ing UPDATE x-fired Chief Merritt why can’t you make it work.
This particular post and related comments should more than adequately suffice as a substitute to the upcoming costly council survey on how the majority of Dupont citizens feel right now – and it’s all free complements of realdupont.com! But don’t worry, there’s thousands of more tax payer dollars to be paid out next year when the city hires a council retreat facilitator to help fix their problems.
If they the city council or mayor can read or wish to find out what the citizens of Dupont are thinking they could find out on webb sites like this. Not from their brown nosed buddies or limiting speech at the council meetings or rolling their eyes at the speakers, the council does’nt have poker faces if they don’t agree.
No solutions, only problems. Madam Mayor, what is the action plan from the retreat and what is the timeline? Or should we consider that tax money gone forever? Can you see why we are not so enthusiastic to fund a survey?
Has anyone written the mayor or council and not received a response?
I can tell you from 1st hand experience after not getting anything back from the Mayor, it leaves a bad perception of incompetence. After it happens, you tend to dismiss anything else happening at City Hall.
Can I get that into the survey?
If the council cannot publicly acknowledge the recommendations from their hired facilatator then why should the citizens expect a different behavior from a survey? If it weren’t for this website or the Clipper you would never know the outcome. For this, I blame the mayor.
Coffey and Jenkins are like cancer in City Hall. Both are married to the fire union.
Those of you that attended the last council meeting got an ear full. The council was presented on the Friday before the meeting with a proposal from the Mayor regarding hiring and training of new firefighters. Some of the council members were upset that they had not had time to study the proposal, The Mayor insisted on a vote, too urgent to not vote on immediately. Of course they eventually voted to pass it, 5 to 2. When speakers came forward, Coffey flipped her hair and made some rather unbecoming faces, like don’t bother I’m not listening anyway. The Mayor and a few council members have their own agenda and barely have the courtesy to listen to anyother suggestions. The only way anthing good can happen to DuPont is to flush out council members who have their own agenda and make sure they are not reelected. Please play the vidio from the speakers, it tells the whole story!!!!!!
It is great to see that we are getting our money’s worth with our “hired facilatator” MHC or should I say mHc Associates Bob Merritt.
Unfortunately, there is not a video for the 2nd council meeting each month.
Exactly why the Mayor and her supporters are pushing their agenda when TV Land is not watching.
Can someone take a camcorder into the meeting on the nights there is no RCC broadcast and provide footage for RealDuPont?
They can’t stop you from recording the meeting but I bet they try.
We’ll try to record the 2nd meeting of the month.
Howdy all you DuPonters. Keep it real, keep it honest.