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Palatka Daily News Let the sun shine in Tomorrow is Sunshine Sunday, the kickoff to the American Society of Newspaper Editors' National Sunshine Week campaign to shine a light on the importance of open government. Florida's sunshine laws make for one of the most open governments in the nation, but every year, legislators, at the behest of special interests, chip away at your right to know about the business of government. The public is the government's boss. We hire and fire its leaders and pay its bills with our money. The business of government is our business. We should have unfettered access to its books. With that in mind, we briefly review local governments' performance in providing public records to the public and the press, and conducting public meetings in the sunshine. PUTNAM COUNTY -- A copy of the commission agenda is faxed to the newspaper in advance. The commission notifies the public of workshops and other meetings through a classified ad in our newspaper. A few times, the ads have been wrong about dates, times or places. Workshops are also listed on a calendar behind the receptionist's desk in the commission office, but are subject to change with little or no notice. If you know what to ask for, the county is very good about supplying records in a timely manner. Sometimes, parts of commission meetings and workshops and committee minutes do not reflect all the discussion, but simply say X topic was discussed. A CD recording of meetings is available to the public. PUTNAM COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD -- Kudos to board member Tom Townsend for trying to get dollar amounts on public agendas, even though he was shot down. Agendas are vague and require expertise to understand. District officials can be testy about people getting up to speak during meetings, but that is partly to avoid grandstanding. PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE -- Their records are easy to retrieve and easy to read, and records department staff members are pleasant and accessible as they honor requests of the newspaper. Records clerk Gloria Southern calls the Daily News as soon as she receives each day's reports. FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL -- Capt. Brent Coates has been unflaggingly accessible to the media. When it comes to day-to-day press releases, the punctuality or even the existence of the report depends on the trooper. CRESCENT CITY -- We have to call and ask for meeting agendas, which come at the last second. We understand, however, that they're stretched thin in the office. They seem to be fine about people getting up to talk at meetings. HASTINGS -- Without even being asked, Town Manager Shelby Jack has recently begun sending the newspaper a complete packet containing an agenda and every related ordinance, letter or document well in advance of any meeting or workshop. INTERLACHEN -- Meeting agendas (though not all workshops) are regularly faxed to the newsroom and the corresponding paperwork is available for review at the town office during business hours. The town staff and council members are approachable. PALATKA -- City clerk takes fast notes by computer at commission meetings. Those are available for public inspection right away, plus recorded material is available. PALATKA POLICE DEPARTMENT -- Shows a willing spirit in honoring records requests, but the filing system and computer software is a little more arcane than that of the sheriff's office. Hopefully, this will be taken into account when the department moves into its new building in the next year or two. POMONA PARK -- Pomona Park is good about faxing us an advance agenda and letting people get up and speak at the meetings. WELAKA -- Newsletter in water bill keeps residents up to date on town projects and issues. Meeting agendas are vague. It can take persistence to get Mayor Gordon Sands to give a straight answer to a question he doesn't want to answer.
Reproduced courtesy of the Palatka Daily News. |
