On Tuesday, 30 January 2007, a Carmelite contacted Steve McInchak, Information Systems/Network Manager with the following request:
Since a web site is only as good as it is up-to-date and current, can you please load Minutes onto the Commissions/Boards web pages to reflect up-to-date information, particularly the Forest & Beach Commission Minutes, since the last Minutes posted date May 4, 2006 and the Historic Resources Board Minutes, since the last Minutes posted date February 27, 2006?
NOTE: The Historic Resources Board Minutes for February 26, 2007 appear on the Forest & Beach Commission Agendas & Minutes page; the latest Minutes for the Forest & Beach Commission are May 4, 2006. The latest Minutes posted on the Historic Resources Board page are the February 27, 2006 Minutes; there are no Agendas since November 20, 2006.
INFORMATION FROM CITY’S WEB SITE:
Steve McInchak,
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Information Systems/
Network Manager
Contact Information:
P.O. Box CC
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
Tel. (831) 620-2025
Fax (831) 625-1953
E-Mail: smcinchak@ci.carmel.ca.us
“Steve McInchack has been the Information Systems Network Manager for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea since July 1997. He maintains the city's entire computer network which includes five servers, forty-six workstations and eighteen printers located in five different buildings: City Hall, Sunset Center, Police Station, Fire Department, Public Works and Forest & Beach. Steve is also the City's website administrator and coordinator of its new for 2002 television broadcast facility in City Hall…He is a Certified NetWare Engineer and has extensive knowledge of everything from servers, email, cabling, and the Internet.”(Source: http://www.ci.carmel.ca.us/, “City Hall,” “Network Manager.”)
COMMENTS:
Over one month later, as of today, there had been no response from Steve McInchak, nor have any of the requested Minutes been loaded onto the City’s Official Web Site, except for the Historic Resources Board February 26, 2007 Minutes on the Forest & Beach Commission Agendas & Minutes page.
City employees of Carmel-by-the-Sea do not have an ethic of accountability to the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea. By comparison, contacts with city officials from other California cities have yielded prompt and professional responses.
3 comments:
It seems likely that city employees have been told not to respond to public requests for information or not to respond without clearing them with the city manager, who apparently must clear his decisions with the mayor. Given the desire for secrecy (some of it for nonsensical reasons and others in violation of state law)that runs through the top levels of Carmel's government, it is rarely likely that the mayor would agree
to allow substantive responses to requests of this sort from the public.
One other less likely possibility is that overworked city employees may not have the time to give to such requests because of understaffing - especially if they have been told to put cooperation with the public at the bottom of their priority list.
This blog often raises interesting issues. Issues that are sometimes controversial or that strongly impact the residents and businesses of Carmel. Very few comments, pro or con, seem to arise from these blogs however. It would be great if more readers of this blog would share their views and opinions for the rest of us to see. I have commented in the past and I would really encourage others to do so too.
Who's looking out for Carmelites?
City employees? No!
The Mayor? Definitely Not!
The other city council members? Not a chance!
The Carmel Pine Cone?
Sometimes, except for shill Paul Miller with his establishment propaganda editorials!
The Monterey County Herald?
A division of the mayor's disinformation department, except recently, and that was only because the city wouldn't talk to their reporter!
The Carmel-by-the-Sea Blog?
Absolutely Yes!!! It is definitely looking out for the interests of Carmel and Carmelites!
Join in and share your views. Maybe then there will be a chance for change.
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