OPINION | City needs to make how it handles P&Z appointments transparent, consistent

Admit the people have a right to know who is being considered

Should be transparent, open from start to finish

Editorial

The Planning & Zoning Commission is a big deal to a lot of people, and rightfully so. Surely the City knows this by now, yet they seem to continue to struggle with openness, transparency, and consistency when it comes to the selection process.

City officials — both elected and appointed — have claimed in the past that the reason the process here in Mandeville is so guarded is in an effort to protect the privacy of the applicants. This claim comes despite them being well aware that the Louisiana Public Records law very clearly says that most of the information concerning such applicants is public and must be made available.

Of course, there are those who claim the real reason the process is so secretive here is that elected officials generally would rather avoid the inevitable criticism over who they do not pick.

The Louisiana Public Records Law, or Title 44, specifically addresses these applicants. R.S. 44:12.1 (A) reads:

“The name of each applicant for a public position of authority or a public position with policymaking duties, the qualifications of such an applicant related to such position, and any relevant employment history or experience of such an applicant shall be available for public inspection, examination, copying, or reproduction as provided in Part II of this Chapter.”

This does not say the City has to release copies of the resumes or whatever documents an applicant may have mailed, emailed or faxed to the City. While such documents could be obtained via a public records request — such as the one made by Mandeville Daily August 11th, Section 12.1 (A) is really only directing the City to make certain information available. There is a difference.

Mandeville Daily believes that the requirements of R.S. 44:12.1 (A) could have been satisfied — as far as we are concerned — by publishing a complete list of applicants, containing the information required by law, specifically: the name of each applicant, their qualifications for the position, and their relevant employment history.

It would have been that simple. Mandeville Daily would have felt no need to exercise its right to submit a public records request. People are naturally going to be suspicious of their government — as they should be — when that government, either by accident or by intention, creates the appearance of impropriety.

So the solution to this problem is really very simple:

1) Acknowledge that the people — the voters — have an inherent right to observe this process from start to finish, as opposed to how it is now, where it is simply announced at a meeting that we have a new Planning & Zoning appointee-designate whom the people may know little or nothing about.

2) Set up a form on the City’s website for people to submit their applications for the Planning & Zoning Commission, while making them aware which parts of their information will be made public in accordance with the applicable state law (R.S. 44:12.1). Once the application period closes, all the applicants’ information which is covered by law will immediately be viewable by the public online, in one nice, consistent list where each application is treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the public.

Boom. Done.

This stuff with the Cressy appointment was an unforced error.

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