The best seat(s) in town
August 30th, 2007, 1:53 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Aaron
I cover government and education for the paper. Between the Planning Commission, the City Council, two school boards and the occasional Barstow Community College board meeting, I spend a lot of time in public meetings. As such, I spend a lot of time with my posterior in folding chairs while I furiously take notes and officials discuss official business officially. While not scribbling unintelligibly in a notepad, I have time to think about equally weighty matters — like the comfort of Barstow’s public meeting accommodations. So here goes with my highly unscientific five star rating system: Barstow Unified School District — Four and half stars What can I say? Lots of legroom at the meeting table, plenty of space for note-taking or storing a camera bag and a comfy cushioned swivel chair, doesn’t get any better than that. The best part: I get an assigned seat and a little name plate that says “press.” I don’t really care where I sit, but I like the table and legroom. Barstow City Council — Four stars The council chambers hold standard metal chairs, sure— but there’s a folding table as a hard surface for note taking, a nice view of the action and water pitchers. Barstow Planning Commission— Three and a half stars Held in the same room as the City Council meeting. Same room, same chairs, same folding table. Life is good except — no water. No water, no disposable cups, no relief for the parched throat that inevitably occurs at the end of a long working day. Silver Valley School Board— Three stars Sorry, school board, no offense. I like the people, but the meeting setup could be better. Metal chairs are standard enough, but the room is pretty cramped, and I’m always afraid I’ll accidentally kick or trip the speakers who approach the microphone to give comment. And for those of you who are curious of what it takes to earn a five-star meeting seat ranking, the answer is simple: a plush recliner, a personal water cooler, and a bigscreen TV to catch all the meeting action (or a Seinfeld rerun). — Jason Smith | Staff Writer
