Mayor, Council Provide 'Wow' Moments

When was the last time Mesquite citizens had a "wow" moment at a city council meeting?

Tuesday's gathering at City Hall was the first for the new mayor and council, and this fresh group did not disappoint.

Right out of the gate, the council showed that they aren't going to play games with the agenda.

The most important issue of the evening was to address the thorny question of moving the municipal election dates.

Instead of burying this important topic at the end of the agenda, which was frequently the tactic used by the previous administration, the new council faced it head-on as the first action item on the meeting lineup.

Then, when the council actually took on the topic, they did something extraordinary.

Instead of voting their own preference, they voted in accordance with the will of the people.

During their campaigns, Mayor Mark Wier and new council members Kraig Hafen, George Rapson, and Al Litman were very clear in expressing their opposition to moving the election dates from June of odd years to November of even years.

However, in the June election, the voters approved the move by an 11-point margin in a non-binding advisory question.

On Tuesday, the council voted 5-0 to instruct the city attorney to craft a change to city ordinance which would move the election dates.

In their first heady action as newly-elected officials, fresh from the ego-stoking election and at a time when a lot of politicians might be filled with their own self importance, this group stated and decided that the people had spoken, and that they needed to heed that direction.

No arguments, no posturing, no hints of the old "we know what's best for you" attitude that defined the previous council.

Wow!

Another "wow" moment occurred this week in a MesquiteCitizen.com article where Mayor Wier declared that future Technical Reviews will not only be open to the public, they will be noticed and agendized.  By law, this means that the public will be allowed to speak and ask questions during the meeting.  Also, contrary to the position frequently (and erroneously) espoused by the previous administration, the law states that council members not only can but should discuss the issues brought up by the public.

According to paragraph 3 of Nevada Revised Statute 241 2(c), the agenda must include "a period devoted to comments by the general public, if any, and discussion of those comments."

They still can't vote on an unagendized item brought up under public comments, or promise any particular action, but they CAN talk about it.

Also, by agendizing and posting a notice of the meeting, it frees the council to discuss or "deliberate" on the questions listed in the agenda.

In fact, the law defines a meeting as a "gathering of members of a public body at which a quorum is present to deliberate toward a decision or to take action on any matter over which the public body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power." 

Wier's decision to notice, agendize, and make the Technical Reviews open to the public is worthy of a collective "wow."

Obviously we're all still in the honeymoon phase with this council.  But in only two weeks, they've shown a humility and willingness to champion the public's expressed intent, and an intent to follow through on their campaign promises of openness and transparency. 

In the face of oppressive and stifling summer heat, this mayor and council have brought an exciting breath of fresh air to this desert community.