(FF: 51:00) The LCC discussed removing an evening meeting that they recently started. The ‘excuse’ two of the commissioners made (Schmidt and Otten – they had a change of heart at the end of the discussion) was that the winter weather could make it dangerous to attend the evening meetings. Commissioner Joel Arends tore into them about it, also during public input a legislator also chewed butt about the stupid excuse. First off, the meetings are for the PUBLIC not so you can be comfortable attending. Secondly, if you feel the weather makes it unsafe to attend the meeting it should either be postponed to the next day OR you can attend by telephone. Also, the public doesn’t have to be in the chambers. They can watch it LIVE instead of on replay (morning meetings) and they would not have to leave their homes but get to watch in real time on YouTube. I am just astonished by how much our local government bodies fight openness and transparency and then wonder why the public is so misinformed they don’t bother voting in local elections. The commission voted to keep the evening meetings, but it should not have even been up for debate UNLESS they were considering on making ALL meetings at the evening. More closed government Bullsh!t!
*The end of the discussion is the best where Arends calls out the chair and the other commissioners for promoting closed government.