Work sessions not best forum for public comment

Frontiersman editorial board

The coal-bed methane issue has seeped into nearly every aspect of life in the Mat-Su Borough in recent months, and it has ignited fires in unexpected places along the way. The most recent development arose during and following a Borough Assembly work session, and the discussion is not yet resolved.

The work session was scheduled to afford assembly members the opportunity to listen to two hydrologists discuss the potential effects of CBM development in the Valley. Work sessions are informal meetings of the assembly, and no official action can be taken during these session. They're simply a way for assembly members to gain a better understanding of important issues. These work sessions, while not closed to the public, also do not normally allow for public comment. Since the idea is simply to gather information and data, it's generally not considered the proper forum for open public debate.

However, because the CBM issue has become so hotly contested here, public attendees asked several questions, and some assembly members complained that the public comment was taking time away from the intended agenda. The assembly moved to close the work session to public comment, and later to close all work sessions to public comment. Borough Mayor Tim Anderson opposed the move, and later vetoed it, saying that some issues, like CBM generate enough interest to warrant public input.

The question here is not whether or not the public deserves ample opportunities to comment on important issues. It's our government, our community and our property at stake. Public comment is critical in all public matters. The question here is about efficiency and common sense, though. There are proper channels and proper forums for public comment, and we urge all borough citizens to take part in that process at the many other opportunities to do so.

We have elected representatives to do the work of government in our community. We should demand that those representatives become as educated as possible about the issues that affect us all. Work sessions are one way they gain that education, and we should allow that process to take place without interruption. Turning an informational meeting into an emotional debate draws attention away from the important work at hand, and could serve to muddy the process rather than make it more responsive.

Public meetings are one of the most important elements in our form of government, and citizens should participate, especially at the local level. However, when every government meeting becomes a public debate, the process bogs down, and we risk losing momentum on the important work that also has to be done. We strongly support the concept of public comment. We also support the efforts of our elected officials to do their work efficiently.