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basically too short, but I'm starting to change my opinion on that and see that a two -year <br />cycle can work well in these times. So, I'm not so hard and fast on that one any which <br />way. <br />I didn't sign up for it, but I definitely support Communication 109, additional public <br />hearings. I think that is important. Again, if nothing else, there is a service provided to the <br />community that people see how to properly run meetings. We are asking for people from <br />the community to come forward and do their job responsibility, and with a great civic <br />attitude. <br />CA -14, Legislative Auditor, I support this. I think it is a good amendment. There was an <br />earlier amendment you had here speaking about the change of the name on the Department <br />of Research and Development, and I spoke against taking out the word "research." I think <br />it's important. Almost everything I see in the press these days is that we are trying to <br />implement research and high technology and let's start using technology to get where we <br />got to go. So, I don't like just putting that to economic development. The reason why I <br />bring that up is because here we are continuing to call it the Legislative Auditor, but <br />actually it's not. It's an independent County auditor. The functions are very much auditing <br />executive departments; the management's techniques and the finances of those <br />departments. So, maybe that is something that could be looked into. Again, that's not such <br />an important distinction, but it seems like it may have been overlooked. <br />Office of Council Services, I speak against this. I've heard good arguments from both <br />sides, and again I've heard excellent deliberations from you folks on all of these matters; <br />and the public testimony has been very intelligent. It has adequately represented all the <br />sides that you could look at on this issue. My personal opinion is that I just don't feel that <br />it is actually necessary. I think that the public has a remedy in place right now, which is <br />our ability to come and speak out. If we see something that we feel is improper in <br />Corporation Counsel's representation of council members or legislative representation <br />where they are favoring possibly the administration, we've got every avenue and ability to <br />come and speak openly about that. So, I think that's the proper check and balance already. <br />Also, I would mention there is something along these lines in today's paper. We see in the <br />Tribune Herald that it has been hard to fill the Cost of Government Commission. I <br />appreciated some of Mr. Goodenow's comments earlier on other items and I believe this <br />one, where we are kind of asking you, as you review the Charter, let's try to make sure we <br />don't put things in there that end up costing our government more money in this day and <br />age. I don't know if there is a proper way for me to do that, but, I guess I'm just kind of <br />asking you folks informally to keep an eye on the cost of any proposed changes to the <br />Charter. <br />Council Standing Committees, I just wanted to comment on this. I very much support the <br />importance of council legislative business being handled in committees; really hashed out <br />and hammered out all the difference of opinions. It's good for the public to see where our <br />council members stand on these things. I don't believe in going and tying up the actual <br />council meetings. I think the council meetings should function for last minute things that <br />were overlooked, changes that occurred from when you hammered it all out and everybody <br />7 <br />