Recently, a friend of mine asked me, “Did you see what they’re saying about you on Facebook?” I replied that I had no idea what they were talking about and asked if they could share what the topic of the day was. It was then that I discovered that an entire conversation was going on about litter at the Lawrence Shopping Center and that, having walked over to get some groceries, I was somehow responsible for cleaning up the mess. At first, I was surprised and confused about how I became involved.
As I began to think about how I became a party to a conversation happening in a private group on social media, it hit me that I had already been involved with another incident at the shopping center earlier this year. Yet the circumstances could not have been more different. The complaints about illegal dumping were also on social media, but more importantly, the resident who discovered the dumping sent emails to me and municipal staff at our township accounts and attended a Township Council meeting to express his concerns during public comment.
I would like to speak about these last two actions, as they are the most effective methods of bringing issues to municipal officials and staff. First, I prefer that residents send me an email about their questions or concerns. On the township website, there is contact information for each council member, along with the township manager and department heads. The email addresses listed for council are the best way to contact us, as we are part-time legislators with other commitments during the week. For me, email is also helpful, as I have a written record of what the issue is and I can easily forward the message to the appropriate person or department.
The other action is to speak during the public comment period of every council meeting. I understand that not everyone is comfortable with public speaking, especially about an issue that the speaker is passionate about. I try to make each speaker feel welcome at council meetings but also remind them to be aware that there are rules and expectations when speaking to Township Council and the community.
The public comment period is not intended for dialogue with the council and the manager or for solving an issue on the spot. So I state the following at every meeting: “The purpose of the public comment period is for members of the public to inform the governing body of their views. This time is an opportunity for Township Council to listen with care to the public, and to consider what we hear in our deliberations. It is not a time for a back-and-forth dialogue as it can be difficult for us to give accurate responses on critical and complex issues on the spot.”
Now, granted, there are times when I, along with my colleagues and staff, cannot answer a question posed to us. Often, the reason is to protect the township because the issue involves litigation, personnel or other confidential matters. As mayor, two of my core responsibilities can sometimes be at odds with one another. I have a duty of disclosure and candor, to be open and transparent. I also have the duty of confidentiality on matters that are not appropriate or ready to share publicly. When I have questions about the tension between these two duties, I contact the township attorney to ensure that I do what is legal and appropriate.
After spending nearly 11 years on Township Council, I take my role seriously. That is why I typically stay away from getting involved in a back-and-forth on social media. I have found that, to be as effective as I can be, I try to separate the signal from the noise, a concept I learned from my father, an electrical engineer who designed communications satellites. The signal is the valuable information I need to understand about an issue or the community’s feelings about that issue. The noise refers to the rumors, outrage and false information that are sadly part of our world.
If you want to share your concerns with me about community issues, please send me an email at my township account. I look forward to hearing from you.
Christopher Bobbitt is a township councilman and the mayor of Lawrence Township.
