Once again, they just don’t get it (read our previous post from April 23rd).

Here’s what the Sound Transit Board says in an email re: the 1-2 minute per person “hearing” they received from potentially impacted taxpayers (homeowners and business owners) at the April 23rd Board Meeting:

“The Sound Transit Board on Thursday:

Heard continuing comments from residents, neighborhoods and businesses on various East Link alignment alternatives, impacts and concerns. The Sound Transit Board will consider the selection of a “Locally Preferred Alternative” route in May as part of the East Link Environmental Impact Statement process that continues into 2010.”

3 minutes has always been limiting enough for public comment, let alone LESS TIME.

In addition, Sound Transit has a rule that a citizen can usually only speak to “action items“- agenda items being decided on THAT DAY- by which time, public comment is not in time to actually influence the decision-makers’ process, or give Board members a chance to ask relevant questions of staff.

Public agencies such as Sound Transit, with a constant tax stream from taxpayers, can and should do far better to respond to and represent their constituents, by actually hearing them for more than 60 seconds, when the issue at hand has already been decided (privately) and is moot..