On Monday, the Davis community radio station KDRT began airing an half-hour radio program by local journalist Bill Buchanan examining a proposal by Davis Mayor Josh Chapman and Councilmember Bapu Vaitla to change the current authority that city commissions have to set their own agenda and send proposals forward to the council for its consideration. Elaine Roberts Musser and I have publicly called for the proposal to be rejected because it is neither legal nor good government.
Buchanan says, “This week’s subject is narrow, but contains a question worth considering. It involves one of the ways that ideas emerge and ultimately shape public life in Davis. This specific path involves the Davis citizen commissions that advise the City Council on subjects including city spending, planning, police accountability, and several other areas.”
The show will air periodically on KDRT over a two-week period. A link to Buchanan’s description of the show and a recording that can be heard at any time can be found below:
Please feel free to share this information with other Davis residents so that they can hear firsthand what is being said on both sides about this controversial proposal that we fear will damage an important aspect of Davis democracy, its system of volunteer experts who serve on city commissions.
