A ``Report Card'' of Sorts: DPPA's ``Duluth City Councilor Review'' DPPA Members Will Help Determine a Job Well Done Beginning in January 2003, and continuing through June 2003, The Duluth Public-Policy Alliance will conduct an assessment of the Duluth City Councilors. In an ongoing effort to encourage open government, and with the understanding that the City Council is the citizen's closest connection to city government, the DPPA Board of Directors has elected to offer an analysis of individual councilors. The assessment will be based on six points that the DPPA board believes are behaviors that citizens can reasonably expect from their city councilors: Attendance at Council Meetings Regularly attends Council, committee, and agenda meetings. Participation in Councilor Discussions at Council Meetings Enters into discussions on issues that require a vote. Attitude Toward the Public Exhibits a welcoming attitude toward the public and listens attentively to public comment. Explanation of Individual Votes Lets the public know the reasoning behind each decision. Attention to Detail Follows up and makes sure that information is provided -- or gets good reasons for a lack of information -- when Councilors or members of the public request information. Response to the Public Responds promptly to public contact, be it through email, letter, phone calls, or personal visits -- and does so respectfully. At the end of June, each DPPA member will be mailed a survey form requesting a ranking of each councilor on the six points. (Members: When you receive your form, please fill it out and mail it promptly!) In addition, at six randomly selected City Council meetings volunteers will ask members of the public to fill out the surveys. The DPPA Board will then compile the member and public surveys and announce the results in August. This process will be introduced to the City Council publicly at the first full Council meeting of 2003, on January 13, during ``Opportunity for Citizens to be Heard,'' which occurs at the beginning of each Council meeting. The DPPA Board of Directors believes that initiating this sort of local ``watch dog'' approach to City Council activity can -- if it operates in a non-political fashion -- be a good step toward strengthening and building an open city government. These articles are retained on the web for historical interest and do not necessarily reflect the views or goals of DPPA today.

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