Shifting priorities

As a public watchdog and more-than-casual observer of Anderson’s City Council proceedings for the past nine months, I have gained a great deal of respect for the professional manner in which business meetings are conducted.

Partly because the meetings, held on the first and third Tuesday of most months, are broadcast live on Channel 11, Shasta County’s public access television station, the Mayor’s gavel bangs promptly at 7 p.m. and the flow of council business is reasonably smooth throughout the evening.

The council’s agenda, available ahead of time on-line at http://www.ci.anderson.ca.us/agenda.asp or by request from deputy city clerk Juanita Barnett, are clearly written and easily understoodby the average citizen. Various opportunities exist for citizens to weigh in with their own thoughts on issues pending consideration or action by council members. Even if the issues are contentious and tempers are ready to spark into flame, the council and city staff are gracious, polite and actively interested in what the public might have to say on any particular issue.

All of these factors allow me, acting primarily as a reporter, to concentrate more fully on the nuances of interaction that can be gauged by body language, posture, facial expressions, personal habits and vocal inflection.

I mention all of this as one way of explaining why I place such high trust and good faith in the management team led by City Manager Scott Morgan and Assistant City Manager Dana Shigley. By personal example as well as by policy, Morgan, Shigley and the council work very hard for all of the citizens of Anderson, as well as those who may just work, play or drive on the roadways in the City of Anderson.

When Morgan and Shigley make proposals to shift priorities, as they did at the council’s most recent meeting, one can be assured that the action is not being considered lightly. Rather, all possible angles have usually been investigated by the city’s professional staffers to look for any potential pitfalls and problems, long before those might otherwise be noticed.

(You can read the news story on A-1 and A-7.)

The city’s five-member council also deserves kudos for their individual preparation on the issues to be discussed, and their active engagement in almost every matter.

Sure, there is usually some political posturing on the part of one or more of the council members. I suppose that is to be expected. We are bound to see this happen even more frequently as we head into the political campaign season just prior to the November general election.

But for the most part, the Anderson City Council acts cohesively to solve the difficult problems of the hour.

There also appears to be a genuine attitude of caring for the city’s rank and file employees, noticed primarily when the Mayor or one of the other council members brings up the name of someone facing an illness or personal loss. New hires are publicly introduced to the full council, and warmly welcomed into the family by Mayor Butch Schaefer.

Anderson is fortunate to have as capable a cadre of leaders as we do have. Some of the surrounding school district boards would be serving their constituents better if they took a lesson or two out of Anderson’s play book.

However, lest we all get lulled into a too-comfortable sense of complacency, the Valley Post will remain on guard as a public watchdog ready to sound an alarm if any funny business takes place.