We’re disturbed the city of Morgan Hill has announced that only
seven of the 50 community meetings planned for the next year will
be open to the public.
We’re disturbed the city of Morgan Hill has announced that only seven of the 50 community meetings planned for the next year will be open to the public.
Earlier this month, the Times discovered the city plans to hold the vast majority of the so-called community conversations in private homes or with private groups where local residents and the press cannot be guaranteed access.
City officials and councilmen hope the meetings provide a clear direction to chart a course for the city’s future during uncertain financial times.
Specifically, the meetings are designed to gauge community support for increasing the local sales tax and fees or cutting city services to a level where they will be noticed by residents.
Whatever the ultimate decision is, it’s clear the outcome of these conversations will affect everyone who calls Morgan Hill home and that is exactly the reason why the city should reconsider holding private meetings.
City Manager Ed Tewes told reporter Matt King the city wanted to engage smaller groups of residents rather than hold large-scale meetings where little is accomplished. Because they were meeting with private groups or in private homes, Tewes said the city could not guarantee public access – that would have to come from the owners or the groups themselves.
Tewes also told the Times the city hopes to be able to contact as many as 1,000 residents – less than 3 percent of the population – during their meetings.
Ironically, the city claims they are truly interested in learning what locals want from their government, but then potentially lock out the very people they want to hear from. Keeping the people and the press out of these meetings will only cast a shadow of suspicion on what is truly happening behind closed doors.
It’s time for our elected council members to step in and squash this foolish plan for important dialogue.
The council needs to remember they’re responsible to the entire population of Morgan Hill – not just 3 percent of it.
