I went to a committee meeting last night. Generally, I avoid such gatherings like the plague because they make me uneasy. I made this exception because there was going to be a presentation of special interest to me.

Each time I do such a thing, I am quickly reminded why I hate committees and meetings. I remember that I have a really low tolerance for bullshit. I don’t like to jump through hoops or play games. If I’m going to dance, I’d really rather do it on the dance floor.  What really is the purpose of Robert’s Rules of Order?

As I walked in, I was handed a copy of the agenda. After the silliness of taking roll call (the commissioners sit at assigned places with name plates in front of them) and approving the agenda, the only item on that agenda was to re-present a presentation given in February. What a waste of paper!

I appreciate this board of elected officials and the work they do. That said, much of the interaction last night was passive aggressive with commissioners posturing for our benefit. Clearly, I would have had to attend a lot more meetings to understand the unspoken agendas and backstories of the individual commissioners. It was unattractive and unproductive. To be fair, not all the commissioners participated.

I don’t think anyone walked out of the meeting feeling good or satisfied. The consultant presented several alternative proposals and there was no action planned at this meeting and no clear plan for when a decision will be made. Other than posturing by some of the commissioners, there was no real discussion to help me assess what might happen or how the commissioners lean.

Now I have to decide whether I really want to attend the next meeting or wait and read the results in the newspaper.

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