Paul Scott comment: E-mails and phone numbers of people serving on governmental bodies should be readily available

--by decorahnews.com reporter Paul Scott:

Several new laws will go into effect in Iowa on Monday.  July 1st is the start of the state's new fiscal year.

The state legislature now has fully funded the Iowa Public Information Board, whose purpose is to keep government open and accountable.  The board operates under the theory that when government operates in the dark, a small number of people make big decisions, which isn't good for the state.

In other words, the more public input, the better.

This rule of thumb should apply to governmental organizations in the Decorah area.  For instance, the public should have a way of contacting the people who serve on the boards that make decisions about local tax dollars.

If you check the websites of the City of Decorah, Winneshiek County, Decorah Community School District and Winneshiek Medical Center, you discover that the first two governmental boards provide e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of board members--so the public can contact them with questions or comments.

But that's not the case with the Decorah School Board, nor with the Winneshiek Medical Center Board.  Both organizations do list the names of the people who serve on their boards.  But they don't have telephone numbers of board members and in these days of cell phones replacing land lines, I'm not sure you could find a phone number.  And they don't list e-mails--and I'm not sure how you would learn what they are.

Yes, you could probably track down this information with a little bit of work--but why should you have to work this hard?  The City of Decorah and Winneshiek County are taking the right approach by listing e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of the city council and county board members right on the city and county websites.  The Decorah School Board and Winneshiek Medical Center should follow suit.

The Decorah City Council's web page, with phone numbers and e-mails (Click for larger image)

The Winneshiek County Board's web page, with phone numbers and e-mails (Click for larger image)

The Decorah School Board's web page, with no contact information (Click for larger image)

The Winneshiek Medical Center Board of Trustees' web page, with no contact information (Click for larger image)