Let the sunshine in, on every level of government

Week honors public’s right to transparency, information

One of the most critical functions of journalism is shining a light in the corners of government that otherwise wouldn’t be seen.

Reporting on government agencies provides transparency between the public and government. Ultimately, the goal is accountability. How are your taxpayer dollars being spent? What’s happening in your community? What decisions have been made lately by your elected officials, and how will those decisions impact you?

At the Yuma Sun, our journalists take this role seriously. We cover city council meetings, school board meetings, work sessions, government boards and board of supervisors meetings. We request public records, and fill in the gaps for our readers, because we feel quite strongly that the public has a right to know what’s happening in our community.

Also important to transparency are the public notices that appear in regularly in the Yuma Sun. Public notices provide an additional layer of visibility to the inner workings of local, county and state governments, as well as actions of the court system.

There is a vast wealth of information to be found in public notices. They keep readers informed on a variety of topics, such as trustee sales, articles of incorporation by businesses, court summons, government bid proposals, resolutions by government bodies, changes to city code and more. This week, journalists across America will celebrate Sunshine Week, a national movement to help the public understand the importance of an open and transparent government, and the role journalists play in achieving that transparency. Journalists at newspapers big and small work hard to shed light on the darkness, to bring information forward so Americans have access to the inner workings of government.

A long-standing principle at the Yuma Sun is this: “Knowledge is key. Unlock the power.” In many ways, that too is the basis for Sunshine Week — empowering readers with information about their elected officials and their decisions, at every level of government.

The Associated Press notes that Sunshine Week is held annually to coincide with the March 16th birthday of James Madison, father of the United States Constitution and a key advocate of the Bill of Rights.

Join us this week in celebrating the public’s right to information and government transparency.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT?

The City of Yuma invites you to reach out to City Administration or the Mayor and Council anytime you have a question about something around the City that you like to see happen or have a question on any project in the City. We are happy to look into any issue and provide you an answer. You can send these send questions or topics to sunquestions@ yumaaz.gov . We believe in “United for Yuma” and making this a better community with all of us working together for a common goal.

We have been asked to address several items over the last few months that have appeared in the Letters to the Editor. The City is happy to discuss any questions you have. We can meet with you or answer questions over the phone.

Painting of the 16th Street Water Tanks

Maintenance is continuous on our utility system, and the tanks are a critical part of that system. These three “3 million” gallon water tanks are inspected on a regular basis both inside and outside to look for signs of corrosion or other issues. About every 15 years or so, the outside of the tanks have to be cleaned and repainted. The paint’s main purpose is to provide a protective coating. It is time to recoat the outside due to degradation of the protective coating. The inside of the tanks were recoated a few years ago. In the previous inspection it was noted that Tank #1 had some significant pitting on some of the internal components that were identified for replacement. To gain access to Tank #1 a large hole will be cut in the top of the tank to take out and insert the replacement components. The outside of the three tanks are then cleaned and will be coated with an industrial two-part epoxy coating for protection. The application requires special protective equipment and apparatus along with training. It is unfortunate that the artwork on the outside of the tank will have to be painted over. However, it was known at the time of that beautification project that the tanks have to be repainted about every