City leaders did their part in seeking public feedback

And to help guide them in the right direction, city representatives have held two public meetings to receive feedback on which capital projects residents would like them to pursue. It’s a welcome sign to see officials so receptive to comments from the general public. The two open meetings are exactly the type of relationship elected officials should always try to maintain with the people they represent.

It should be emphasized that the local planning sessions replace what had been an out-of-town retreat for city leaders. Formerly, officials devoted a weekend to these meetings at Fall Creek Falls ‘ and local residents weren’t asked to participate in the decision-making process. It’s not the type of behavior which makes residents feel they have an active voice in how city business is conducted.

This year, under the direction of city administrator David Rutherford, the retreat was taken off the schedule. In its place was a day-long planning session at city hall that was open to the public, followed by two meetings Oct. 11 and Oct. 25 that were called specifically to generate public feedback.

McMinnville leaders will meet again this Saturday for a second day-long planning session to determine which major projects to pursue and which ones to scrap. Once again residents can attend and voice their concerns.

If there’s a disappointing part of these public meetings, it’s that no more than 50 people attended in all, and that’s a generous estimate. While given the opportunity, few people took advantage of it.

However, city leaders can proudly say they tried to involve residents in government decisions. Meetings were arranged and McMinnville officials devoted their time to attend.

The Standard is glad to acknowledge such an effort and to encourage city officials to continue to strive for open lines of communication. It’s far better than making major city decisions in the secluded confines of Fall Creek Falls.