Axar.az presents an article “A Civics Lesson” by John Samuel Tieman.

Folks often think that governance is about dramatic decisions that need to be made immediately. No. That's "The West Wing" or "Independence Day", not University City, Missouri. Yet people do romanticize the job and have all kinds of fantasies. Another common fantasy is of that one good citizen with “common sense”, whatever that is, who saves the government from philistines and opportunists. No. That's “Dave” or “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington”, not my hometown's City Council.

So, for all those who have asked, those who are curious about Council Member Tieman’s work, there's this. Mostly, it's just service that requires patience, attentiveness and, in the example I'm about to give, a good pair of reading glasses.

People often speak of the one good person who stands up to the system and inspires with a rousing chorus of “I am Spartacus!” I admire that one good person. I really do. But in a democratic republic, work gets done with coalition and compromise. Consider this. I am a City Council Member. By myself, however, I have no power. Any bill I introduce needs a second, then the assent of the majority of the Council. Rather than the rousing speech, mostly the job requires lengthy listening and considerable schmoozing.

Our city government is nonpartisan. Potholes don't vote Libertarian. That said, in my old age, I have become a pro-business social democrat. Pro-business is simply practical. Social democrat is close to irrelevant.

Governance is rarely dramatic. In the last month or so, I've inquired about a tree that needs to be cut down, a sidewalk that needs to be repaired, a street that needs its lines painted. Some neighbors asked that their street be repaved, and I brought that to the attention of the appropriate officials. One fellow needed to know if a dying tree was on his property or the property of the city. Two fountains needed repair. Every month, I have a minimum of two Council meetings, three commission meetings to attend, and a consultation with the City Manager. There are always more meetings than that, of course – a gathering of constituents here, a telephone call with a constituent there, an email, a chat on the street. One meeting I recently attended concerned, among other things, the relocation of a gas station.

The work of the City Council takes some of my time each day, and all of my time a lot of days. Here's an afternoon in the life, a Friday just before a Council meeting the following Monday.

11 October 2024, about 2 or 3 PM

A police cadet just delivered my reading for the weekend. I’m guessing 100 pages. A light bit of reading for Monday's meeting of the City Council. In the recent past, I've had 900+ pages.

I peruse the packet. Saturday and Sunday, I'll spend time reading it a second and third time. Right now, I just peruse it, sort it, consider this and that.

I will make two nominations to the Green Practices Commission. I have asked a colleague to make one for the Arts And Letters Commission.

We will make three proclamations. Because I am a writer, I am particularly pleased with one. We will sign a proclamation honoring the poet, Mary Jo Bang, a neighbor.

We will vote on two bills, one regarding signage and one pertaining to retirement benefits. I will vote "Aye" for each.

There are no resolutions scheduled for this meeting.

I will vote for a Conditional Use Permit, which will bring an Italian restaurant to a corner three or four blocks from our house. My Italian American wife, Phoebe, will be pleased. I privately regard this as “The Phoebe Italian Heritage And Pasta Primavera Permit."

For some of these matters, there's a lot of supporting material herein.

And there’s a bunch of other stuff, the agenda, the minutes from a past meeting, materials about the purchase of a new trash truck, that sort of stuff.

The deposit receipt, for $184.70, is for my weighty monthly stipend.