Beginning Feb. 13, Athens City Council will be hosting informal discussions with Athens residents prior to all meetings. The conversations are to be an open forum for anyone to come forward and discuss the issues on council's agenda for that night. The informal setting is intended to facilitate honest dialogue and allow people to express themselves more fully than they can during their allotted speaking time during council meetings. An engaging conversation likely will be more productive than the competing monologues that tend to arise between council and Athens residents.
Council should be commended for implementing this idea but only if the members actually listen to what the public has to say and factor concerns into its decisions. It would be too easy to set up these meetings as a token gesture without truly considering the ideas put forth by the people of Athens - regardless of the tenure of a citizens' residence, their age or social standing. However, only time will tell if this decision is a good faith gesture or just a hollow public relations move. Let's hope the former will hold true.
Also, it is not merely the council's responsibility to make this program work. People must attend the meetings for these conversations to happen. It is a legitimate fear that people might not show up, other than the usual set of folks who come to lobby, complain or clamor about whatever week in and week out. But Athens residents should take advantage of this opportunity to voice their concerns on issues in the minutes before council deals with them. Any communication immediately before the meetings will be fresh in the council members' minds as they debate and vote on legislation that could profoundly affect the people of Athens.
Council should listen to the people who take their time to appear and voice their concerns. Rather than just doing as they please, council members should show that this move, proposed by new councilwoman Bojinka Bishop, D-2nd Ward, signifies a new era in which they earnestly strive to carry out the wishes of those who they represent.
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Pre-council discussion has potential
