Auburn Mayor Michael Quill took a public relations bullet for city staff last week when he said “blame me” for the failure of the city to give proper notice for a proposed retreat last Saturday at Stella Maris in Skaneateles. While the mayor acted nobly, it wasn't his responsibility to give public notice - that was the city's paid staff's job, though he was right to make sure that the city did not break the state's Open Meeting's laws.
Proper notice to allow the public and press to attend (they will not be able to speak) is vital to making sure that city government is open. While City Manager Mark Palesh said it was the staff's responsibility and not the mayor's, one has to ask why such a failure to provide due notice occurred? This should be routine for city staff, similar to the natural process of breathing.
Yet, lost in the criticism of the notice and location issues (holding it in Onondaga County versus Auburn - or at least somewhere in Cayuga County), which are very valid, is the good news that the city is looking to do some long range strategic planning and thinking, prior to this year's budget process. With two new members of the city council (Quill and councilor Gilda Brower), this is an excellent opportunity for all five members of council to tell each other and city staff what their priorities, short and long term, are for the city.
Former mayors and city councils have tried this in the past with varying success. Much of the success of such sessions only occurs when all of the council buys into the process and is willing to exchange and, more importantly, listen to each other's views without pontificating - something that has not been the case in attempts to do this in more than a decade.
All you need is a mayor or one councilor to make the exercise useless. From all indications, it looks as if all members of the council really want this to work and that is good news for taxpayers, as well as city employees. In the later case, that allows them to make budget recommendations knowing what will and won't fly, and also makes sure that no city employee is surprised when the manager's budget is unveiled in May that may change priorities, shift employees or cut staff (of which, at this stage, there is no indication).
For now, the city needs to make sure that the public and press know about the event. It also needs to reassess keeping it within Cayuga County, such as the Business and Industry Center at Cayuga Community College or at Wells College.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
Yet, lost in the criticism of the notice and location issues (holding it in Onondaga County versus Auburn - or at least somewhere in Cayuga County), which are very valid, is the good news that the city is looking to do some long range strategic planning and thinking, prior to this year's budget process. With two new members of the city council (Quill and councilor Gilda Brower), this is an excellent opportunity for all five members of council to tell each other and city staff what their priorities, short and long term, are for the city.
Former mayors and city councils have tried this in the past with varying success. Much of the success of such sessions only occurs when all of the council buys into the process and is willing to exchange and, more importantly, listen to each other's views without pontificating - something that has not been the case in attempts to do this in more than a decade.
All you need is a mayor or one councilor to make the exercise useless. From all indications, it looks as if all members of the council really want this to work and that is good news for taxpayers, as well as city employees. In the later case, that allows them to make budget recommendations knowing what will and won't fly, and also makes sure that no city employee is surprised when the manager's budget is unveiled in May that may change priorities, shift employees or cut staff (of which, at this stage, there is no indication).
For now, the city needs to make sure that the public and press know about the event. It also needs to reassess keeping it within Cayuga County, such as the Business and Industry Center at Cayuga Community College or at Wells College.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
