Fair, open and transparent government is webcam goal

By Jay Purcell

Like many of you, I was surprised at some of the comments I read in Friday's article pertaining to my suggestion to install a Web camera in the Cape Girardeau County Commission chambers at the courthouse in Jackson. I would like to lay out a few basic points that I feel are crucial to develop a better understanding of this issue.

1. The county commission is an elected, three-person body that is subject to Missouri's Sunshine Law.

2. Any time two or more commissioners discuss county business, it is considered a quorum/meeting.

3. All meetings must be posted, and minutes must be kept.

4. All county commission meetings are considered public unless we go into closed session for purposes such as litigation, real estate or personnel.

I think it is important to note the previous four points because of this point: The dynamic of having a three-member body and a quorum consisting of two members means that any time a commissioner proposes an idea for the first time, there will be two commissioners who will be hearing it for the first time. I state this because I do not agree with the portrayal in Friday's article that my fellow commissioners were blindsided. I believe any comments that were made about my suggestion were because of my suggestion's content, not in how it was delivered. If I could go back and rewind the clock, I would set this topic as an agenda item so that my fellow commissioners would be somewhat prepared. For that I will take the blame. Having said that, there are unplanned discussions that occur in every meeting that I believe the citizens should see.

I do, however, agree with one of the comments that was made in Friday's article: Some people would act differently with a camera in the room. I would suggest that would be no different from how an employee acts differently when the boss is watching. Let us never forget that the citizens are our bosses.

My suggestion to put in a Web camera in the county commission chambers would create a permanent visual and audio record of what transpires at the county commission. If approved, citizens could go to an upgraded Web site, click on an icon and watch the county commission meetings. I would envision other county meetings occurring in this chamber such as the Citizens Road and Bridge Advisory Board meetings. Citizens and media alike could watch county meetings in their time frame whether it be live or replayed out of the Web site's archive. Some meetings and public hearings might generate high public interest and could be replayed in other formats and venues. I could see a peripheral zoning meeting or a Citizens Road and Bridge Advisory Board meeting being replayed thousands of times by our citizens in an effort to be well-informed. There may be some issues depending on content that would be appropriate to replay on Cape Girardeau's public-access channel.

In summary, I believe that if the county commission were to implement my suggestion it would allow our citizens to be better informed as to what their county government is up to. A well-informed citizenry that is empowered to make change should be the goal of any elected leader. I believe webcasting our meetings is a first good step. It is my intent to spur public discussion about this issue. In the near future I will be setting a public hearing at the county commission to discuss the pros and cons of my idea. In the meantime, if you would like to voice your opinion, may I suggest you e-mail your comments to the county commission at commish@capecounty.us.

Thanks for your interest in fair, open, transparent government.

Jay Purcell of Cape Girardeau represents the 2nd District on the Cape Girardeau County Commission.