The promise by Mayor Gerry Friedel to be more “transparent” could not be further from the truth. His mayoral campaign claimed excessive executive sessions would end. He also led us to believe the public deserves to be informed.
Alas, in my view, that's not the case. For executive sessions, Mayor Friedel's Council averages one per month (beginning January 2025 through October – where there are two posted. Remember, the mayor and council took two months off of meetings, too!) The reasons for an executive session are defined by law to only name the topic. But it's more about Friedel's promise – not the volume of executive sessions – that bothers me.
As a prospective mayor, he appears to have had no clue the reasons and needs for executive sessions. Even more frustrating, though, is the lack of clarity that is often the case on regular meeting agendas. For those items, it's not unusual for agendas to lack detailed staff reports. The topic is posted as the agenda item.
What I've learned is that a staff report is a critical component of any agenda item. It defines for council the parameters of the discussion, gives historic context, identifies departmental responsibilities and may or may not recommend a council action. Without a staff report, the council freewheels, diving in with no clear purpose or outcome. For short-tenure elected leaders, they may have no clue of past council discussions or actions. Some council members may not even know why it's on the agenda.
Just as important, though, is the information that the staff report provides unlocks key understanding of any issue for public understanding. That's where “transparency” takes another hit from Friedel. Without that guidance, the public has no idea about
Who, what, where, when or why. That's the Friedel version of transparency.
