Secret Meetings and Echo Chambers

"Secrecy is largely antithetical to well-run public institutions - not because those institutions are run by people with nefarious aims but because working in an echo chamber never produces the best results." News Tribune, Feb 2, 2010.

I read this and thought about the Interlocal Water Agreement among the port, city and PUD3. As mentioned previously in this blog, the staffs of the three entities developed this water agreement behind closed doors. Port Commissioner Hupp allowed that this agreement could never have been done had it not been done in secret meetings by their staffs. I wonder if there were any echoes in those meetings. At the joint meeting on Friday, Jan 29, I was sure hearing the same language being used by the commissioners of the port, city and PUD3 as they congratulated themselves on a job well done.

Now we read this week that the city approved the water agreement on Monday, Feb 1. The following day the port and PUD3 approved the agreement. The echoes have reverberated throughout the community. It is agreed upon by all parties.

As the News Tribune article referenced above went on to say, rarely is good public policy fashioned behind closed doors. What our elected officials are overlooking is that the public voice can be used to their advantage. But only when it is allowed to be heard in open meetings. While the city, port and PUD3 spent several weeks developing this water agreement secretly, once this agreement was shared with the public, it took the port, city and PUD3 just a week to approve the document.

The public still holds the ultimate opportunity to have our voice heard. Let's be sure our voice is heard on election day. Who knows maybe our voices will echo throughout this county.