It’s time to play, “What will be discussed at the Town Council meeting tomorrow?” This week’s game has an added challenge – it’s late Monday morning and no agenda has been published that the T's know of.
The published agenda has little relation to what actually happens at a Town Council meeting. At the July 1 meeting, there were only 2 agenda items and the Town Manager’s report. However, that "report" contained information and action items important enough to be included on the agenda.
I’ve Got a Secret
For example, there was the issue concerning renewal of a lease of Town property for a cell phone tower. Mr. Terpenny read a 12-day-old email to Council about the lease renewal, mentioning that the company was willing to give “consideration” to the Town for this renewal.
The company name was not given. No dollar amounts were mentioned for the value of the contract. A range of dollar amounts was mentioned for the “consideration,” which would be put toward recreation programs in the Town.
After much back-and-forth about this contract, the value and the terms, Councilman Wade asked bluntly, “What’s the contract worth?” Mr. Terpenny replied, “Does it matter?”
Mr. Wade pressed on, asking what the big secret was. Terpenny finally answered, “There’s no secret. $75,000.”
$75,000 ?!?
An action item contributing $75,000 (or so we’re told) was not worthy of being on the agenda. Didn’t the Town Manager want folks to know this was being discussed?
$75,000 worth of new revenue not in the budget. Was there any revenue from a cell phone tower contract in the budget?
Only one Council member, Mr. Barber, appeared to have been aware of the 12-day-old email before it was read to Council. Why the filtering of information to Council members?
A Growing Concern
Another item not on the agenda covered the request for citizens to prevent sewage charges for watering gardens and other activities that don’t send the water into the sewer system. Lisa Gardner, who had already awakened the Christiansburg Police Department to the benefits of community policing and foot patrol, and prompted action on downtown parking issues, raised the issue. Mr. Barber took up the issue, and the end result is a pilot program where a small number of residents can purchase water meters for outdoor hoses.
This achievement is important on many levels – important enough to be on the agenda.
Keep 'Em Guessing
This omission of items (and there were more) from the published agenda, and the scope of public awareness, does not serve the citizens of Christiansburg. Knowledge of the email dated June 19 and the water meter program certainly existed prior to writing the agenda.
As Mr. Wade asked, “What’s the big secret?”
See you at the Town Council meeting tomorrow night, 7:30, 2nd floor, Town Hall in Christiansburg! Maybe we'll find out.