Committees in Gonzales

I saw something happen at Tuesdays meeting that I've never seen before.  I saw the Beautification Committee give a report on their actions and some of the things they are planning. 

Now I'm going to be honest with you until the budgeting process this year I didn't even know we had a Beautification Committee.  As a matter of fact, I found out we had a list of committees that I learned about during the budgeting process.  It was a bit mind boggling to me, because in my entire time going to city council meetings the only time I've ever heard from any committee was when they needed to appoint additional people to their committees.

So I'm a bit perplexed.  In every other situation, and according to Roberts Rules of Order (one of our governing documents), committees are to regularly report back to the council.  Why?  So that the managing body (read city council) is informed and knows what is going on. 

Over the last year or so I've heard several times that "our councilmen never come to our meetings".  It's not their job!  Their job is to have the reports of committees come to them.  Committees are created to hash out issues, to create solutions to problems that the city council doesn't have time themselves to do.  It does not relinquish final authority/responsibility by creating committees.  It's still all falls back on the city council. 

I want to quote from Roberts Rules of Order - "Generally the term committee implies that, within the area of its assigned responsibilities, the committee has less authority to act independently for the society (or other constituting power (read city council here)) than a board is usually understood to have.  Thus, if the committee is to do more than report its empowered to act for the society only on specific instructions; or, if it is given standing powers, its actions may be more closely subject to review than a board's, or it may be required to report more fully." (9th Edition, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised)

So  in all the years of going to council I have to ask myself, "Where the heck is the reporting to the council?"  Why do these committees expect the councilmen to come to them, when it's their obligations to report back to the council? 

This last Tuesday Mr. Burchard did a great job of reporting to the council.  He gave a listing of what is in the works, what are on the "we'd like to do" list, and even some long term planning.  The council has now been informed as to what the Beautification Committee is up to. 

I would love to hear from all these other committees too.  Wouldn't they want the council to know that 1) they really are working on things for the City of Gonzales  2) that the direction they are taking is one that the council is wanting to go in so that their work doesn't get yanked after a lot of sweat and blood has been put into it.

Last I have is that while there is probably (though I'm not 100% certain) that most of these committees do not have to have the 3 day written notification of agendas and such that some do (like the council, GEDC, Zoning), it sure would be nice if they posted on the city website that a meeting is planned so that if someone wanted to present an idea to that committee it was available to them. I'm certain our city secretary could post in the agendas and announcements section of our website any upcoming meetings in a heart beat. I wouldn't have a clue how to present something to most of the committees, because I don't know who they are or when/where they meet.

Right now most people in Gonzales don't even know 1/2 the committees we have (btw, ALL committees are to be appointed by the city council per our city charter), much less their function or who is involved.  I personally think it's time to give the recognition to the hard workers, their works, and to come together at our central governing body, our city council, to make sure we are all working together in a single direction, after all it's their job. 

God Bless,
Dennis Nesser