At last week’s “organizational borough council meeting” several observations were recorded about the commitments that those elected “public servants” have to make to be effective representatives while serving in their positions. Magisterial District Judge Robert A. Herman, Jr. and Mayor Leo Lutz praised those councilors who were sworn to their new terms of service for taking on the heavy cloak of public service.

Columbia news, views & reviews has written several posts exhorting and reminding citizens about their responsibilities in a representative democracy, too.

On September 16, this article began:

“Government is and has to be open to its citizens. But, citizens must participate to make government work the way it is supposed to in a representative democracy. The elected public servants you vote into office have their hands full.

They read … a lot.

They observe … a lot.

They listen … a lot.

They take verbal beatings … a lot.

And they attend a bunch of meetings … a lot.

To be as responsive and responsible as they can be, they really need to know that you are asking them to be accountable to today’s citizens, visitors and guests and tomorrow’s. Serving in an elected or appointed position is not as simple as many think; these dedicated folks want input and support from the citizens.

For example, there were no citizens in attendance at the Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday evening. Yet, the folks who were there – the elected public servants and the borough staffers – in our judgement, conducted a professional, sincere “best efforts” meeting about very difficult subjects: revenue and expense projections for 2012.

On July 6, this article included:

A fundamental, and beautiful, aspect of representative democracy is that citizens can participate in the governmental process. Citizens elect representatives at all levels of government … local, county, state and federal … to enact the laws that protect them and provide other government services for them. Citizens have the right to petition the representatives and to attend the government hearings and meetings to engage in meaningful discourse about possible legislation.

It is a fundamental right and responsibility. Citizens must participate in the process; if they do not receive input from the people they represent, elected “public servants” will make decisions predicated on their personal, informed ideas about the legislation they are considering. Hopefully, their decisions will be directed  by a higher sense of benefitting the majority of the citizens they represent.

However there are cases in which the elected “public servants” cast their votes for purposes other than the public good, either innocently or because there is benefit or gain. The point is: Citizens must become involved in the process!

Sometimes citizens will rely on news media; municipal websites for copies of meeting agenda and minutes; rumor mills and insidious gossip in all forms of “he said, she said” tripe for their information about community happenings. A problem with only relying on news media or municipal website information is that citizens miss the actual conversations, gestures, glances and visual interpretations. The problem with insidious gossip is that the conversations, gestures, glances and visual interpretations are filtered by the prejudices of the “gossip monger” who may or may not have actually witnessed the event, communication or incident.

While Columbia news, views & reviews makes judicious efforts to document the happenings of municipal meetings, without producing an audio or video transcription of the dialogue, we (and any other medium) are not capable fully depicting what happened.

That being said, here are some of the information bits and pieces from the Economic Development Strategic Planning meeting held on Tuesday night:

• Concerning Action Item PA 462 Bridge Historic Lighting Project: The borough manager said that the borough is 80% into the bid phase of the project. The award of the project will be made within 60 days and the project will begin construction during the latter part of the second quarter of 2012.
• Concerning Facilitate 3^rd & Linden Streets Development: The borough manager and the mayor stated the project has been completed, “for sure.”
• Concerning Revitalize Rotary Park: There was discussion about the grants from a number of funding sources including a generous contribution from the Columbia Rotary Club to jump start the project. There “is in-kind elements” that the Borough of Columbia will provide to comply with grant stipulations. The borough will accomplish the paving of the basketball court and the parking lot off Commerce Street. The borough manager said the bid phase is 50% completed and the project would begin in the latter part of the second quarter of 2012. Five grants were “married” to insure project completion.
• Concerning Rehab State Theater (movies, performing arts, etc.): According to a statement at the meeting, theater owner, Michael Warren, is moving towards opening an antique mall in the theater.
• Concerning Arts/Theater Events: The mayor stated that Fourth Fridays have really taken off and seem to be doing well. Others agreed that Fourth Fridays are a beneficial cultural event. Councilor Mary Wickenheiser stated that there will be no Fourth Friday during January.
• Concerning Establish Self-Guided Walking Tours from Market House; Increase Displays on Rivers & Towns and Install Educational Signage for Walking Tours of the River Park: There was significant and enthusiastic conversation about what might happen with respect to enticing and welcoming visitors to discover the charm, warmth and history of Columbia by improving “signage” and introducing walking tours abetted with online or mobile apps. Other communities, including Lancaster and York, have already done this, said some.

Want to really know what’s happening in Columbia … come to the council meetings. Come to the community meetings.