Monday, December 15, 2008

More Stale SEWRPC Performance: One Agency Committee Not Convened For 25 Months

It's the SEWRPC's Intergovernmental and Public Relations Committee, hasn't meet for 25 months, and hasn't even approved the minutes of its November 16, 2006 meeting, either.

Is that "S" in SEWRPC for "Southeastern" (Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission), or "Sleepy Hollow?"

But seriously, as I pointed out when I posted a link to the outdated, 2004 economic profiles for SEWRPC-member counties and cities - - what's the point and value to taxpayers of maintaining web postings/data, or in this case, one of just four standing SEWRPC committees, if they are allowed to go stale?

The Intergovernmental and Public Relations committee, in fact, has met just three times since March, 2003, SEWRPC records show.

The SEWRPC website says the committee is a communications conduit for its constituent county boards - - from which it takes about $2.3 million every year in quietly-and-routinely disbursed property tax dollars, thank you very much - - so maybe SEWRPC is taking those county boards a wee bit for granted, eh?


You'd think that a public planning commission representing seven counties with scores and scores of municipalities would use every communications means at its disposal, since it has:

A) Been forced to establish an Environmental Justice Task Force to bring minorities and low-income residents into SEWRPC processes;

B) Been called out publicly by dozens of aggrieved citizens at the last two federal certification reviews;

C) Been hit recently with two civil rights complaints;

D) Made the subject of formal reform calls by separate votes of both the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and the Milwaukee Common Council.

As publicly-paid planners, isn't SEWRPC leadership curious enough about their standing in the region use a standing committee as a route to some institutional awareness?

Or not, though SEWRPC is busy hiring a PR and outreach staffer.

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