Wichita City Council member Jim Skelton is right to criticize the council practice of putting important city business into workshop consent agendas where there are no cameras or public input.
Based on his concerns, the City Council last week directed city staff to draw up new rules for the workshops, including one that would allow a council member to pull an item out of a consent agenda for full council public debate — as Skelton demanded be done for the recent Eaton Place loan decision. Skelton also called for a top-to-bottom review of council rules, which he calls “out of date and a complete mess.” And while they are at it, how about televising the workshops?
This is an opportunity for City Council members to show their commitment to transparency and openness on city decisions.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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