Doesn't it stand to reason that a council member should build institutional memory of the projects and issues they deal with during their time in office? I believe there is a big responsibility to do so.
Eva mentioned back-up computer files. The city should have them I would think. If not, channel 9 should have the information. (at least through July 2001 back until 1995) They requested it from the city computers under that freedom of information act last summer during "Herrongate" and my recollection is that the council computers were not purged since 1995. Not 100% here, so correct me if I am wrong. The documents not on a council members computer would be documents they collected in the course of doing their jobs and attending meetings or hearings. Things like MCDA reports, zoning and planning reports, inspections information, letters from people outside city hall, files on properties. etc. Yes, most of this could be rebuilt but the time and expense to do so would be horrendous. How would you even know what to rebuild? I would hope that any council member would feel obligated to pass on all information that provides institutional memory regardless of the political battle that ensued prior to the election. That is called professional integrity. There are obviously laws surrounding this. My understanding is that Natalie Johnson Lee made an issue of the missing files immediately upon taking office. Her complaints received pretty much a "yawn yawn bore bore" response from the city attorneys office. I maybe wrong, perhaps the city attorney has been investigating this and just hasn't come out publicly with anything. At any rate, maybe the Channel Five attention to the matter will help expedite their findings. We have now graduated from "Herrongate" to "Filegate". It's a shame some council members have been left to fly blind. In the end, it's the constituents that pay the price for it. Barb Lickness Whittier ===== "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - sign up for Fantasy Baseball http://sports.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
