Community meetings

Once upon a time the public stage was an open place to see and be seen
Sometime the being seen was without a particular message. Maybe one’s presence expressed support? Maybe it expressed a watchfulness.
LanCoVa BOS
There is information available from body language and the context in which it is thrown down
signs
There are means, within the physical space, even if it is not your turn to be heard to be heard.

Now there are all forms of electronic meetings. Have they increased accessibility? Have they increased effective citizen participation in governance?

Heel Dust

Dr. Tarron Richardson
Dr.T’s shoes, March 6, 2019

Charlottesville’s City manager, Dr. Tarron Richardson, resigned today. Will we ever know the who, what, where, why, when and how?

Sandy Hausman of WVTF asked:

Is there something particularly difficult about managing in Charlottesville. I know in general local government management tends to move around a lot, but it is a tough situation when you are reporting to both the Council and to the voters in a sense but is Charlottesville particularly challenging, is it a bunch of people who are too smart for their own good? Why would you say that we have had so much turnover? I’d like to hear from both the manager and the Mayor on that…

And so, the City Manager leaves the city in his heel dust. Leaves with a $205,000 severance check and his health insurance paid for the coming twelve months.