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There's a benefit for a group of people to meet in person to discuss issues. They can gauge each other's reactions, explain difficult concepts more easily and have a more tactile experience.
When it comes to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's Governing Board, this in person interaction becomes even more important, especially when the monthly meetings are sometimes the only time some members travel into the basin.
It also allows citizens to meet board members in person, or to speak at a meeting about issues and policies in the basin that directly affect them.
In the basin, the TRPA is sometimes considered an overbearing bureaucratic agency that is not in touch with the needs of everyday homeowners and citizens, especially because some of its members are not even basin homeowners who have to implement TRPA directives, such as best management practices.
Which is why the governing board's unanimous decision Jan. 23 to allow teleconferencing into meetings could make the agency and the process seem even more out-of-touch to citizens already disillusioned with the agency.
Under the new decision, board members can call into a meeting in the case of adverse weather conditions, health concerns or if a board member is unavailable for scheduling reasons. The board members would have to travel to remote locations in one of the five counties touching the lake. Those areas would be predetermined and open to the public.
While it's encouraging that the public will at least know where to travel to meet those representatives, it still could require Tahoe residents to travel distances to meet with their public officials.
We would urge the governing board members to avoid using the teleconference option except when absolutely necessary. While inconvenient interruptions are inevitable, it is still important that our appointed officials who have control over many of the basin's policies actually visit the basin.
If not, the TRPA could be seen as a more hostile and disconnected organization among basin residents than it already is.
When it comes to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's Governing Board, this in person interaction becomes even more important, especially when the monthly meetings are sometimes the only time some members travel into the basin.
It also allows citizens to meet board members in person, or to speak at a meeting about issues and policies in the basin that directly affect them.
In the basin, the TRPA is sometimes considered an overbearing bureaucratic agency that is not in touch with the needs of everyday homeowners and citizens, especially because some of its members are not even basin homeowners who have to implement TRPA directives, such as best management practices.
Which is why the governing board's unanimous decision Jan. 23 to allow teleconferencing into meetings could make the agency and the process seem even more out-of-touch to citizens already disillusioned with the agency.
Under the new decision, board members can call into a meeting in the case of adverse weather conditions, health concerns or if a board member is unavailable for scheduling reasons. The board members would have to travel to remote locations in one of the five counties touching the lake. Those areas would be predetermined and open to the public.
While it's encouraging that the public will at least know where to travel to meet those representatives, it still could require Tahoe residents to travel distances to meet with their public officials.
We would urge the governing board members to avoid using the teleconference option except when absolutely necessary. While inconvenient interruptions are inevitable, it is still important that our appointed officials who have control over many of the basin's policies actually visit the basin.
If not, the TRPA could be seen as a more hostile and disconnected organization among basin residents than it already is.
