Pinehurst 2011: Council meetings

 

 

Why does the village council insist on meeting at times during the week when most people under 65 are working, and are unable to attend?  Southern Pines has their meetings at night. Why can’t Pinehurst?

Are the geriatrics on the board scared that the young working whippersnappers will see that they are merely figureheads doing what Andy Wilkison tells them to do?  One village government insider — seriously — explained the meeting schedule to me this way: “The old people don’t like to get out at night.”

I’m sorry, but the village represents A LOT more than “the old people.”  One council members has fought long and hard to get night meetings scheduled, over the loud objections of their council colleagues.  A compromise was reached, allowing for one night meeting every so often.  One elderly female council member angrily demanded that the village clerk take roll at the night meetings to “prove” that the people don’t care about coming to meetings.

The Pilot does a lousy job at covering the activities of the council, and tipping residents off about meetings.  The village web site is loaded with legalese and bureaucrat-ese.  You almost HAVE to be there in person at council meetings to figure out what the heck is going on.

Government needs to bend over backward to accommodate the residents at large.  The council works for us.  Not the other way around.  Err on the side of openness and transparency.  You’ll come out a winner every time.