23-motions of “unfinished business.” 16-new motions. 18-City Manager responses to motions from previous meetings. That’s what’s on the agenda for the Tuesday, September 12 City Council meeting.

I’m generally not one to heap criticism on those elected to run our city, but this has become laughable.

Motion sickness should be confined to the high seas, bumpy airplane rides or reading during a long drive. It’s not how good government should operate.

I’ve tried doing my best not to pass judgment on the necessity of the motions filed. What’s vital to one councilor or constituent is frivolous to another, and vice versa. Who am I to judge?

What I can judge is the continued insanity of operating the same way today as you did under a previous form of government that featured fewer councilors. And I can also tell you if all of these motions are so vital that they must be filed in the first place, not getting to them in a timely manner, “bundling” them in a rush to the finish line, then basically ignoring most Manager’s responses with a simple “thank you for this report, it’s a good report,” is doing a disservice to the citizens whose concerns led to the motions in the first place.

I won’t suggest the councilors reign in the number of motions filed. But if the council doesn’t want to work past 10pm, meet every week during the summer, say what they have to say in fewer words, confine public speakers to their allotted time, or find an earlier time to smile for photos and present citations so they can get down to business at 6:30pm, then yes, it’s time to reign in the motions.

If they were that important in the first place, we wouldn’t have a 23-motion backlog.

Click here to see this weeks (very) full agenda