In my campaign for Trustee, I stated that communication with residents and government transparency are two areas that I wanted to improve upon in Algonquin. Here is a status of my latest efforts. At this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting, I asked the board to consider posting meeting audio tapes to the Village website, along with the meeting minutes. (Written meeting minutes are paraphrased and include: the date, time, and meeting place; whether members were present or absent; whether members were physically or electronically present; and a “summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided, and a record of any votes taken.” 5 ILCS 120/ 2.06(a)(3).)
My goal was to give residents another way to find out what is taking place at Village Hall at a time convenient for them. It could also provide greater transparency in our decision making process. The meetings are already being taped so the Village wouldn’t be incurring any additional expense. Seems straightforward, right? My request was not well received. A couple board members reacted as if it was a personal attack. I was told that there was ample room, 100+ seats in the meeting room for residents to attend. I was also informed that residents don’t attend the meetings because the Village is running well. Another board member stated that the audio tapes would be used out of context in social media for political campaigns. Interesting remark, considering the board member usually runs unopposed in elections. Many local and county governments post audio and even videotapes of their meetings online. Why not Algonquin?
I have been successful in one aspect, so far, in my quest to improve communication and transparency. For the first time ever, residents were informed that the Village had various volunteer commission positions available. The information was posted on the Village website, news release, email, Facebook, etc . . . Thank you to the many residents that submitted applications for consideration.
