When I wrote the first “So You Think You Can Govern”, I’d been somewhat of a local political junkie for a couple of years prior to the 2008 Elections and I was concerned about the number of candidates whose faces I hadn’t recalled having seen at City Council meetings (or Planning Commission meetings, or Citizens Advisory Committee meetings).
At the time, it was already clear to me that there were sitting Council Members who did not bother to read the material in their Agenda Packets, did not understand the significance of the long term effect of what they were voting on, and/or were just “there” for reasons of their own.
I was also concerned that some of the people seeking to replace them didn’t have a clue as to what they would be getting themselves into. Livingston was going through several changes; had been on the “back end” of at least one very expensive lawsuit; was already enmeshed in a long, drawn out expensive mess of a General Plan Update and had already been through at least one Water Rate Study.
Well, Elections (and a Recall) have come and gone. Out with some old. In with some new and then some.
And like before, there are now people on the council who clearly don’t bother to read the material in their Agenda Packets, don’t really seem to know the difference between a “Commission” and a “Department”; are increasingly openly hostile towards City Staff, question the competence and intelligence of the City’s Part Time Work Force; don’t know what an Auditor is for; don’t understand the significance of the long term effect of what they are voting on; and/or are just “there” for God only know what reason.
So here we are, only a few weeks away from another General Election and again there are Candidates for Office who have hardly ever shown up for City Council meetings or Planning Commission meetings.
And we are STILL working on that mess of a General Plan that has already cost the taxpayers of the Livingston hundreds of thousands of dollars in Court Fees, Attorney’s fees, Consultant’s Fees, and wasted Staff time.
And we are working on, what, the THIRD (?) Water, Garbage, and Sewer Rate Study since 2007: with the 4th Consultant in a row (Bergman, Raftelis, Bartle Wells, and now HEC)
AND, once again, it looks like we won’t be tackling the Next round of Proposition 218 hearings until well after the General Election.
AND, AND, AND, from the Preliminary Numbers I have seen so far, I think some people will be unpleasantly surprised as just how high those Rate Study Numbers will be. (Damn! I hope I’m wrong on this one!)
{Sigh!}
I said it before, and I’ll say it again now, the Ethical and Effective Council Member of the 21st Century will need to be more than just a person who sits behind a dais and votes “yes or no”. S/he must be able to comprehend, analyze and distinguish between a multitude of competing interests, knowing that all decisions made will have implications for the future.
S/he must recognize that the issues facing Livingston won’t just impact those living within “the City”. There are those outside the City Limits and Sphere of Influence that are as important to the cultural and economic health of Livingston as those who live “inside”.
An ethical and effective Council Person must be fully aware of present needs, and yet have an eye for the future consequences of any and all actions taken, votes cast, and directions given to City Staff in the present. S/he must understand both the “the Time Value of Money” and the “Money Value of Time”: spending both taxpayers dollars, and City Staff time wisely and well.
I have included a brief, partial list of terms any competent council person should be aware of, understand, and able to use in a complete, coherent sentence.
For anyone who REALLY wants to be knowledgeable about how City Government works, I would strongly suggest s/he get out a dictionary, do an Internet Search, or talk to someone at City Hall about any of these terms/concepts s/he may never have heard of before. Granted, it’s only an abbreviated list: an “Introduction to 21st Century City Government 101” so to speak, but at least it would give you an idea of the kinds of stuff you would need to know so you don’t end up sounding like a damn-fool every time you open your mouth .
| 1,2,3, TCP | Industrial |
| A-1 Zoning | Industrial Wastewater |
| AB 1234 | Infrastructure |
| Allowed Use | Joint Use |
| Assessed Property Values | LAFCO |
| Audit | Light Industrial |
| Audit Report | Litigation |
| Bank Owned Properties | Long-Term Debt Obligations |
| Benefit Assessment District | Low Density Residential |
| Breach of Contract | MAGPI |
| Brown Act | Master Plan |
| Budget | Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) |
| California Public Records Act | MCAG |
| Capital Improvements | Medium Density Residential |
| Capital Projects Fund | Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) |
| Cash Pool | Mitigated Negative Declaration |
| Centralized Water Treatment | Mixed Use |
| CEQA | Modified Accrual Method of Accounting |
| Citizens Advisory Committee | Municipal Code |
| Citizens Service Committee | Notice of Action |
| City Limits | Notice of Violation |
| City Manager Form of Government | Notice of Preparation (NOP) |
| Closed Session | Notification Level |
| Code | Nuisance Abatement |
| Code Enforcement Officer | Obligation Payment Schedule |
| COLA | Open Meetings Law |
| Commercial | Open Session |
| Commission | Open Space Reserve |
| Common Sense | Operating Deficit |
| Community | Operation and Maintenance |
| Community Commercial | Ordinance |
| Community Development Block Grant | Percolation ponds |
| Community Facilities District | Permitted Use |
| Community Service | Planning Commission |
| Community Values | Prevailing Union Wage Law |
| Community Vision | Primary Drinking Water Standards |
| Confidentiality | Proposition 218 Hearing |
| Conflict of Interest | Public Comments |
| Consent Calendar | Public Document Request |
| Constituent | Qualified Audit Opinion |
| Contract | Quorum |
| Cooperation | Recusal |
| Department | Redevelopment Area |
| Development Impact Fees | Reflective Listening |
| Detection Level | Regional Sewage Treatment Facility |
| Domestic Wastewater | Response to the Grand Jury |
| Easements | Restricted Fund |
| Education Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) | Retainer |
| Enterprise Zone | Revenue |
| Environmentally Superior Alternative | Revenue Sharing |
| Errors and Omissions | right-of-way |
| Excused Absence | Secondary Drinking Water Standards |
| Expenditure | Serial Meeting |
| Fiduciary Funds | Shared Use |
| Fiduciary Responsibility | Site Design Review |
| Fiscal Impact | Special Planning Area |
| Fiscal Year | Special Revenue Fund |
| Fixed Assets | Sphere of Influence |
| Form 700 | Strike expense |
| Fund | Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency |
| Fund Balance | Tax Sharing Agreement |
| General Fund | The Illegal 42′ Sewer Pipe |
| General Plan | Triple flip |
| Generally Accepted Accounting Principals (GAAP) | Union |
| Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) | Unqualified Audit Opinion |
| Government Code | Unrestricted Fund |
| Grand Jury Report | Urban Reserve |
| Grievance | Warrant Register |
| Hearing | Wellhead Treatment |
| Heritage Tree Ordinance | Work in Lieu |
| High Density Residential | Workers Compensation |
| Highway Commercial |
