This week the Marysville City Council discussed city communications and debated the need for a public information officer.
At times council members chastised city staff for a lack of communication or because they felt uninformed. Others admitted that it was at least better than it had been.
While I agree there is always room to learn and improve, I feel that I should say I really appreciate the level of communication, cooperation and transparency the city provides and the professionalism, even courtesy, they provide it with.
I depend on city communications every day. I need information from the Marysville officials on a daily basis, often even more than that.
I never have a problem getting the information I need. If the information is available, they give it to me. If it is not, they find it so they can give it to me. If the information can’t be gathered quickly, they let me know and ask if there is another way to help me or if I can wait. Each department head is very easy to contact, even with a text message, regardless if they are off the clock. More than that, Anna Krutowskis, who is listed as an executive assistant but also acts in large part as the city’s public information officer, as well as Rebecca Dible, the clerk of council and assistant to the law director, are two of the most helpful and accommodating public employees I’ve ever worked with.
They do all this without a communications staff. Many cities the size of Marysville and even some smaller, have a public information officer. It is that person’s job to gather information for the media and the public and to spread city message.
Marysville had previously gone through a very dark period. Every request for information needed routed to the mayor. If you wanted to talk about the water plant, you had to talk to him. If you wanted to talk about street signage, you had to talk to him. If you wanted to talk about trash pick-up, pool concessions, bond rating, police staffing, asphalt pricing, city council agendas, fiber connectivity or any other thing, regardless of how specific or remote, you had only one person you go to — the mayor.
It didn’t matter that he didn’t know about those items or that others did. He wasn’t going to chance an expert stealing his thunder or shedding light on a city shortcoming. Additionally, he wasn’t going to empower city staff to take ownership of their job.
The former mayor had set up gatekeepers, then kept them in the dark so they could both delay and legitimately put off information seekers.
Plus, since he was the only one talking, his was the only perspective heard. He would tell lies to reporters and laugh about it. He would belittle reporters in council, knowing they wouldn’t respond.
I am sure there are a few in the city that still want that, but those voices have been largely quiet.
However, by the time I began covering the city, things were much better. City Manager Terry Emery, city council, city staff members and subsequent mayors had made a commitment to take seriously the philosophical understanding that they work for the citizens, not the other way around.
Even so, citizens and even council members have a responsibility to keep themselves informed. If the city publicizes its plans a dozen places, but residents ignore the information, officials can hardly be accused of being secretive.
I would urge city council to keep this in mind if they consider hiring a public information officer.
-Mac Cordell is a reporter for the Journal-Tribune.