The recent proposal brought forth by a group of residents concerned with the city following best practices reveals a schism among the electorate. There is a feeling among some, that is being more than whispered about, that things aren’t quite right in the Paradise City. I argue that the issue here should not be restricted to what is motivating City Council President Bardsley and Ward 4 Councilor Narkewicz, councilors who have submitted dueling resolutions on best practices. I further argue that best practices is about much more than legislating citizen involvement. At issue here are two things: how the city of Northampton conducts its business and the efficacy of the rules that govern its practices.
Here are 20 questions I’ve pondered during the past few years, and still do:
- What should happen when city officials fail to follow the city code? What penalties shall there be and who should serve as enforcement officers?
- From a legal standpoint, who oversees the city solicitor and mayor?
- Should city officials that are not lawyers bestow legal advice upon our local volunteer boards and committees?
- Should the City Council secure its own solicitor, not answerable to the mayor’s office?
- How many committees should one person serve on and how many years should they be allowed to serve? Should there be term limits for city officials?
- Should institutions like Smith College be granted disproportional representation on city boards and committees? Approximately 400 Smith employees reside in Northampton or about 1.4% of the population, yet Smith once boasted membership on over 80 local boards, committees, and agencies.
- Is the strong mayor/weak council the best form of government for Northampton? (No, I did not submit this question at the Feiker School debates.)
- Politics is about the inclusion of some issues and the exclusion of others. Who should decide the issues city servants address? Public servants unilaterally or members of the public or both?
- As a prudent business practice should the city annually rotate the vendor used to perform its financial audits?
- Should Community Development Block Grant funds continue to be used for staff salaries and if so to what extent?
- Should eligibility for promised health insurance coverage for former city employees have been rescinded, and if so retroactively or prospectively? Should there be documentation available for the public to consider when policy changes like this occur?
- Should the city consider only the opinions of entrenched special interest groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the Broad Brook Coalition when deciding issues like the Wetlands Ordinance?
- Should the city when sponsoring a new zoning district or ordinance also serve as judge and jury over citizen petitions brought forth in opposition?
- Recognizing the level of political activity that sometimes occurs in our schools, should elected officials like the mayor have unfettered access to our children and their parents? During the Feiker School mayoral debate the mayor stated she makes multiple visits annually to each school in the city.
- Should the mayor’s office enter into development agreements or similar instruments with institutions like Smith College, unilaterally?
- In lieu of taxes, should Smith College provide a detailed socio-economic impact report to the city annually that includes with it the value of their property tax exemptions?
- Should running for a ward council seat require as many signatures as running for mayor? Currently there are only 50 signatures required to run for mayor and these signatures can originate from anywhere in the city. Not only does running for a ward council seat require as many signatures, but they all must originate from within the ward of the candidate, a much smaller pool of registered voters.
- Should the city continue the practice of classifying volunteer board members as Special Municipal Employees, thereby weakening conflict of interest laws which allow for quid pro quo politics?
- Should all city agencies be required to submit meeting minutes to be posted on the city website?
- Who should be allowed to utilize the city taxpayer funded website? Should there be a public comment component established?
More than likely there are other questions of policy that could and should be raised. Although I am often curious about what motivates politicians myself, I hope we can get past this part of the discussion and stay on point. Let’s speak to the substantive issue of municipal rules and how those rules impact the deliberative policy making process in Northampton.
The following is an excerpt from the Office of the Federal Register, Executive Order 12866-Regulatory Planning and Review, as signed by President William J. Clinton September 30, 1993.
"The American people deserve a regulatory system that works for them, not against them: a regulatory system that protects and improves their health, safety, environment, and well-being and improves the performance of the economy without imposing unacceptable or unreasonable costs on society; regulatory policies that recognize that the private sector and private markets are the best engine for economic growth; regulatory approaches that respect the role of State, local, and tribal governments; and regulations that are effective, consistent, sensible, and understandable. We do not have such a regulatory system today. With this Executive order, the Federal Government begins a program to reform and make more efficient the regulatory process. The objectives of the Executive order are to enhance planning and coordination with respect to both new and existing regulations; to reaffirm the primacy of Federal agencies in the regulatory decision-making process; to restore the integrity and legitimacy of regulatory review and oversight; and to make the process more accessible and open to the public. In pursuing these objectives, the regulatory process shall be conducted so as to meet applicable statutory requirements and with due regard to the discretion that has been entrusted to the Federal agencies."
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12866.pdf
