Public hearing falls on deaf ears

First, our unsolicited suggestion to the commissioners: Next time you take action after inviting public opinions on a controversial matter — a matter that engages, enrages, and befuddles a broad spectrum of residents — at least pretend to listen, pretend to consider the opinions of your constituents, pretend that public opinions matter, and please, don’t unabashedly telegraph to the entire room that your minds were solidly made up beforehand, that nothing anyone would say had even the slightest chance of altering your decision.

We watched the commissions sit stone-faced during the comments. They didn’t have the courtesy to even fake concern, interest, empathy, or consideration. 

We observed 15 concerned residents from many corners of our community — medical professionals, civic volunteers, and others — stand at the podium and say repeatedly: “We don’t understand.” “You haven’t given us enough time to absorb your proposal.”  “Take another 30 days.” And, significantly, “Politicians should stay out of public health.”

At the conclusion of the comments, we heard Chairman Jeff Brittain make a few brief comments that appeared to be taken by the audience with as much earnest consideration as the commissioners seemingly gave speakers. As in none. 

Brittain asked commissioners if they had any comments. They didn’t. Then Brittain asked, “What is the pleasure of the board?”

Without a pause, Commissioner Phil Smith, his voice booming through the PA system, made the motion to immediately strip the Burke County Board of Health and Social Services of its independent authority and confine it to an advisory-only capacity. It passed 4-1 with Commissioner Johnnie Carswell giving the lone “no” vote.

The crowd quickly filed out of the room, frustration written all over their faces. Chatter among participants, even 48 hours later, drilled into one of two motivations for the move: Either the commissioners wanted to take control of the opioid settlement money, or it was retaliation by the Republican commissioners against the health department for its COVID restrictions. Or maybe both. Regardless of the merit of those reactions, they are the direct result of poor communication from commissioners. Nature abhors a vacuum. 

Brittain said that the commissioners have been informally discussing the change for a dozen years. A dozen years. If true, such conversations scream backroom politics, a behind-closed-doors tactic that shortchanges the process, lacks transparency, and disregards the opinions of people impacted by the decision. And who all participated in this decade-plus debate? We would really like to know.

This supposed long-running discussion also begs several questions: After all this time, why now? What’s the rush? What’s the emergency that you couldn’t wait 30 days as the speakers asked? One speaker asked the commissioners to first study other North Carolina health or social services departments that have made a similar switch. How has that worked out for them?

Sorry. No time for that, apparently.

After a 45-minute presentation by County Manager Brian Epley and nearly one hour of public comments, the commissioners engaged in no debate. It was all decided in about 2 minutes.

Ironically, a few items later in the agenda, the commissioners went back and forth for nearly 12 minutes, debating whether they should lease two parking spaces at Foothills Higher Education Center to the City of Morganton for EV charging stations. Two parking spaces merit 12 minutes of open discussion but changing the governance of two departments none.

Fortunately, there are times when public comment before a governing body has mattered. Earlier this month, concerned Patton High School parents came before the Burke County Board of Education, explaining why they were concerned about the safety of their young sons being forced to play at the varsity level. Their remarks spurred the school’s principal to cancel varsity football and focus solely on JV instead. Certainly, not everyone agrees with the decision, but it shows the school board was listening and willing to consider what the parents said. 

Earlier this spring, a resident in Glen Alpine spoke at a Board of Aldermen meeting, complaining of the rainwater filling his basement and turning his yard into a swampy mess. Action wasn’t immediate, but his spoken discontent eventually led to the public works team cleaning out debris from nearby drainage ditches to better handle the rainwater and reduce how much runs downhill to his house. Again, elected officials were listening.

The same care should have been exercised at the last commission meeting.