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Right
now we are in a space where we can ponder what is good government -- not
only because there is an election next fall but also because St. Helena has
waited for 4 years for the General Plan to be adopted by the City
Council. See video clip on the reasons why at the
Feb. 18 Planning Commission meeting -- with your mouse, position the
white ball below the screen at the end of the green bar at 2:19 (2 hours
and 19 minutes) -- I'm outlining the problem and a few solutions to
think about. The Council takes up the GP again next Tues.,
Mar. 4, at 6 PM at Vintage Hall. The reason the GP is so
important is that all the Ordinances are legally based upon it and it is in
effect for 20 years -- sounds like bureaucratic stuff but it's St. Helena's
main rudder.
And
check out the new information on the Good Government page. There's the Local Gifts Fact Sheet from the Fair
Political Practices Commission which deals directly with conflicting
alliances in small towns. Then there is the white paper from
Granicus, Transparency 2.0 -- Fundamentals of Open Government
which is particularly current because it teaches local governments how to
be transparent online.
Small towns are full of talent,
experience and education that should be used to help the town. With a
program of education on government processes and real inclusion for
citizens in research and prioritizing, small towns save money, empower
their citizens and increase everyone's quality of life.
Sandy
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