Managing Information in Gravenhurst

A FEW WORDS ABOUT "INFORMATION MANAGEMENT" AND ELECTED OFFICIALS

IT'S ABOVE BOARD, A MATTER OF PROTOCOL, SENSIBLE PROPORTION, AND IT'S A NICE WAY OF SAYING "WE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH"

     A FEW WEEKS AGO, I READ ABOUT THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST'S NEW COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL, TO BETTER ADDRESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT. IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THE ONLY REASON IT STUCK IN MY MIND, WAS THE "INFORMATION MANAGEMENT" THING. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET THAT KERNEL OF CORN STUCK BETWEEN YOUR TEETH, AND IT STARTS DRIVING YOU NUTS? IT BECOMES JOB ONE, NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU'RE DOING!  WELL, SOME THINGS I READ GIVE ME THE SAME URGENT SENSATION. I'VE GOT TO PICK AT IT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT "INFORMATION MANAGEMENT" CAN BE STRETCHED, ON A GOOD DAY, TO MEAN TO THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW? WELL, IN A THORNY NUTSHELL, IT MEANS THE TOWN WILL MANAGE THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GOING TO GET. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CHAMPION FOR DOING THIS, SO I GUESS THE LOCAL COUNCIL FIGURES, IF IT WORKS IN OTTAWA, TO THWART AND FRUSTRATE INFORMATION SEEKERS, IT'LL WORK HERE TOO. WHAT CAUGHT ME OFF-GUARD, HONESTLY, WAS THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY MENTIONED. THEY'VE BEEN PRACTICING IT FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, ANYWAY, SO WHY THROW IT OUT THERE AS SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING? YOU SEE, IF A COUNCILLOR OR ADMINISTRATOR HAD SAID THIS, IN MY PRESENCE, I WOULD HAVE STARTED TO LAUGH, AND REALLY HARD. WHAT IS SO LUDICROUS ABOUT THIS, IS THE FACT THIS COUNCIL THROWS AROUND WORDS LIKE "TRANSPARENT" AND "ACCOUNTABILITY," LIKE A KID YELLLING "WEE WEE" ON A MERRY-GO-ROUND. THOSE WORDS, DUE TO ABUSE, ARE ONLY OPERATING AT HALF STRENGTH NOW, AND THEN, ON TOP OF THIS, WE READ STATEMENTS THAT SUGGEST INFORMATION MUST BE MANAGED. THAT SURE AS HELL SOUNDS LIKE POLITICAL-SPEAK, FOR "SANITIZING." WHAT NEEDS TO BE WHITTLED TO AN ACCEPTABLE PUBLIC STANDARD! SO WE DON'T OVER-EXCITE OURSELVES, AND IMPLODE IN ANGER. TO MAKE US DUMB ASSES THINK WE'VE FINALLY FOUND THE BEST DARN COUNCILLORS IN CANADA, WHO ARE ALSO, FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE, GOING TO MANAGE THE INFORMATION WE CAN HAVE. BUT DARN IT. IF YOU TAKE A CLOSER LOOK, THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE US THE CRUMBS. WHAT THEY THINK WE CAN HANDLE, AND THOSE MODEST MORCELS WON'T CAUSE ANY IMPULSIVE RIOTING BY THE TAXPAYERS. OF COURSE, ADMINISTRATION MIGHT ARGUE INSTEAD, THAT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, MEANS THE CREATION OF THE BEST WEB SITES AND APPS, AND REALLY NEAT INFORMATION PACKAGES (WE CAN'T REALLY AFFORD), BUT OFFER AS A DIVERSION……BECAUSE WE'RE JUST SO DARN EASY TO MESMERIZE WITH SHINY THINGS.

     From what I have read about Saturday's public meeting, is that it was generally a pleasing fete. I understand there were information packages, a tour of the facility, which was grand, and a Q. & A session slotted into the agenda. The package of information for the Lake Association folks, was, I suppose, to show them how terrific the town's doing these days, and how strikingly opulent the new rec. centre is, at only a few million over-budget and counting. The tour of the facility was a nice touch. Did they yank folks outdoors, to see the problem roof? The one that someone is going to pay for, and "someone," in most circumstances these days, mean us. With the agenda, and the information package, which may have impressed those who received it, they once again, successfully managed information. It's a safe way to play. Mitigate the possibility of some taxpayer spontaneously combusting, standing at a microphone, trying to spit out, why he's so damn mad. If you organize it correctly, and run an efficient meeting, you can blow past a lot of perceived bad stuff…..you really don't want to talk about, or for heaven's sake, get into a scrap about. This is information management. It's public relations 101.

     There's nothing wrong with doing this. When I was in public relations for a number of groups, it's exactly what you do. I was far too good at it, and I really hated this "acceptable for public consumption" crap. That's because I had too many years in the news business, and far too many bouts with civil servants and politicians, protecting information that the public had every right to know. The fact is, I made a  highly capable public relations spokesperson, for one very simple reason. I knew how to side-step, evade, bypass, avoid, and conveniently dodge reporters I didn't like. A few I was even able to shut-down entirely, because the folks I was working for, didn't like their attitude. It was that simple. As a reporter, covering local councils in Muskoka, I witnessed every side-step, act of avoidance, "look, I'm invisible," game playing imaginable, and low and behold, it made me a real tight-ass in public relations. Reporters just got fed-up and stop asking me questions. Right on!

     It's why I've toyed a little with the present Council, in Gravenhurst, because they've adopted a pretty strong information-channelling program; and even in public, in full exposure to reporters, councillors aren't giving candid interviews. They're not likely to start spilling their guts to a reporter with lots of ink in the pen, and some front page "white space" to fill. They seem to be pretty comfortable letting the Mayor do the talking. I wonder if any of these councillors ever watch news clips from council meetings at Toronto City Hall? Now that's managing information, for you. But from an historical perspective, I want to inform council of one important thing, about this present term so far. There has been some history-making adversity in our town, as everyone and their pet camel should be aware, in the past year and a half, and I expect there will be quite a bit more in the bottom half of the council term. As an historian, it seems so perplexing to me, that at this controversial period in history, where we are still between a rock and a hard place economically, not to mention nudging some really tense taxpayers, yet there is such disinterest in individuality, and personal opinion at town hall. Why else would there be such overwhelming silence from councillors, who surely must appreciate their role as elected officials, affords them by democratic privilege, an opportunity to speak out about the trials and tribulations they must be experiencing in some way. Maybe it's the needling of this blogger, that makes them angry. Or shuts them up. It sure isn't because they're being misquoted in the press, seeing as they are hardly ever mentioned. Truthfully, with the weight of council's agenda, as it has been, citizens must surely believe council business has been a succession of agreeable situations, where most of the time, the "gangs all here," and happy, happy, happy. We don't know much about the councillors. We do recognize the Mayor, because of all the good press. Who else is representing us? It seems like a council of two or three people. Now that's either because the press is missing their occasional whispers, or council meetings simply aren't news "happening" events. With the kind of stuff going on in this town, especially with the rec centre, it is unacceptable to have this unsettling calm. A lot of taxpayers aren't calm. They're not happy. And they're certainly not the ones who are going to shut up, just because they might get, if they ask nicely, a free information package, and a tour of the new facility. Sooner or later, what is calm will become turbulent, when information management policies are tested on the high seas. Until they unceremoniously, and at an inopportune time, meet up with an investigative reporter, like a rogue wave, who doesn't take no for an answer. We've been down this road before.

     I bristle when someone, who has been at the rec. centre, is overjoyed to report how nice it is there. For the money we have invested in this property, it really should be a palace. I won't get too excited about the place just yet, because the spending isn't over, and I'm a little bit concerned about the "information management" yet to come. We've got some accounting to do! Like the opening ceremonies, the final figures are "coming sometime soon." You'll just have to wait. The interesting part about this, is how the numbers will be handed to us…..on a silver platter, with a couple of distracting mints? With the over-run so far, it's going to take an enchanter, to make those numbers palatable, to those of us who budget a little closer, and leaner, on our own projects.

     There are ambiguities abounding, when you employ methodology like "information management." It's different from group to group, government to government, but it generally means, the control of data to the public, like water rushing or dribbling over a dam. It gives the initial impression of democracy at work, but in reality, it's just another example of deferring and avoiding according to policy. I've had enough scraps with CAO's over the years, to have earned quite a sleeve of merit badges, and the only way to beat them, is at their own game. I remember one municipality, that had a particularly large announcement to make, but made sure the event was being held after our papers had been "put to bed," which means sent to the printer. We had an inside source, who told us the meeting was being held on Tuesday night, and the announcement was to be made at about 8:00 p.m. When our reporter attended, it was assumed the story wouldn't make it to ink, on the front page, until the next press day, a full week off. I had made a deal to hold back the paper, to get this scoop out for the morning paper. Was my name mud, or what? They had a plan, you see, for their own benefit, to have the announcement delayed by those seven days. I don't really remember why, but they got caught "mis"managing information.

     The municipality does not have a press secretary or an experienced media liaison person, and it looks this way. Their public relations attempts are clumsy and poorly thought out, such as when they held a "grip, grin and speak," with members of a family, representing an estate, that had directed a huge amount of money to the Town of Gravenhurst, and only a few people turned out for the official reception, and recognition of this great generosity. I would have offered them the advice, for free, that you never do something like this, without piggybacking on another significant event. The Community in Blooms group does this each year, when they show up at The Barge, during a Sunday evening concert, to present awards to participants. Smart move. They have a waiting audience.

     With councillors relatively mute on most issues, and anything of serious controversy, appearing to be watered down in intensity, by time it hits the streets, one might feel there is a sort-of, but not-quite media expert somewhere on the inside……tightly measuring what's fit to print. As I'm no longer in the business of flushing out big stories for the local press, council doesn't have anything to worry from me. I do however, wish to offer a little advise on the matter of "information management," as it is practiced in the future. Done right, and everything's peachy. Over-manage information we are entitled, down to a drip, and you're going to get a visit from a plumber. And that's when those who impeded, obstructed, avoided, and side-stepped the press, and their right to question, are hastily replaced, and frequently, elected officials become one-term wonders.

     I continue to urge the Mayor, to set aside time each month, to hold a Q & A with the local media, when reporters are given the opportunity to ask questions "free-range." It would be particularly gracious, for councillors to make themselves available, to talk with the press; something that appears to be seriously lacking this council term. Democracy offers a lot of room for debate. About anything. This isn't a cabinet of government. It's a small town council. We want to hear from the people we elected. Sitting for the group photograph wasn't enough. We want more.

     Thanks for visiting with me today. Please come again soon.