Why be in the dark?
This is a new proposal. Or new to me. But it makes all the sense in the world.
Minutes are elastic, James Norman had been the one having them prepared and signing off, after council approval was voted.
Having SEARCHABLE online verbatim transcripts of council meetings and finance committee and public works committee meetings would have uncovered the infamous PORT AUTHORITY mischief and nipped it in the bud. But we lacked it, and the Port Authority thing prospered during the Elvig finance committee chairmanship.
And the objection - cost?
That's a shibboleth, a mantra, "It will cost too much." It's false. Court reporters are not all that expensive, and a court reporter could transcribe a meeting with near flawless skill and accuracy. They do it every day, for a living. And they do not overcharge.
More money's been spent on El Tinklenberg and Mike Mulroney than would be spent in years of doing what's right - verbatim transcription with a verbatim SEARCHABLE online record to boot. We enter our search terms, a ranked list of hits, we read, we learn, we scrutinize, we judge. We are empowered.
I commend whoever thought of the idea. It is SUNSHINE. It counters obfuscation and deception to have verbatim records of what's done when, by whom.
It is not just a good idea. It rocks.