I just finished reading this article in the Eagle-Tribune regarding the Salem Town Charter Commission. Among the items in the article was the comment that a first organizational meeting will take place this Thursday, June 18th at 7PM at Town Hall. There likely will be little discussion regarding the charter itself at this meeting; there is a lot of “housecleaning” that needs to take place.
After reading the article, I took a few minutes to see if there was any information provided by the town itself regarding the meeting…
I voiced concern a few weeks back about the need to be as open and transparent about the process as possible. If not for the writing of Jarret Bencks in the Eagle-Tribune, it would be difficult (if not impossible) to have quickly found out about the upcoming meeting. I say this to all the commission members, selectmen and government officials…
You already have concerns within the community regarding the Charter Commission, it’s goals and it’s interest in serving the needs of the community ay-large. Any behavior or action, be it intentional or unintentional, that leaves the voting base feeling “left out” will quickly erode confidence in the commission and process and all involved. It is imperative that information regarding meetings of the Charter Commission (or any town meeting, for that matter) be announced in a timely fashion (1 or 2 days before the meeting does not count and instead gives the impression of trying to keep people away) using whatever means possible.
An outcome of this Thursday’s meeting is the creation of a regular schedule for future meetings. This will be the chance to prove that the commission wishes to be open in communicating with the public. I urge the members of the commission to take the steps necessary to ensure that the word gets out regarding future meetings.