The McCollumn 3/4: "For heaven's sake, just show up"

Monday evening, several other Opelikians and I completed our month-long commitment to the Opelika Planning Academy, a free series of lectures and presentations from the city’s Planning Department held to help us regular citizens better understand the subtle nuances and intricacies involved in the planning and maintenance of Opelika.
We learned about the Comprehensive Plan, building inspection, historic preservation, licensing and the zoning board of adjustments, just to name a few of the plethora of topics covered.
Jerry Kelley and the rest of the folks in the Planning Department did an excellent job providing great information paired with real-life examples and issues being faced in our city.
In exchange for our efforts, we were all given framed certificates of our attendance that I interpret as endowing all of us with the honorary title of “Citizen Planner.”
Using my powers as an English major to interpret and modify the meaning of words, I interpret such a title to mean that in cases of the overthrow of our city government or during some sort of major cataclysmic disaster (Godzilla attack, zombie apocalypse, etc.), we, the graduates of the Planning Academy, could attempt to step in and fill the void. Perhaps it’s a broad interpretation, but I favor wide, expansive definitions.
My Planning Academy experience was overall a positive affair.
Ward 3 City Councilman Joey Motley was a fellow attendee, and took time to praise the Academy during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
Some of Motley’s words rang loudly, however: “It was a great experience, we learned a lot and I wish more citizens would have taken advantage of the opportunity to come.”
I agree, Mr. Motley.
We’re all fairly quick to complain about issues and problems that arise in this town, but, as a citizenry, we aren’t great about getting out and learning more about how to fix and address those problems.
We’re blessed to live in a democracy where we have the right to vote on our leaders, but we don’t always to the best job of being an informed, energetic electorate.
Public meetings and public information sessions like the Planning Academy are undertaken to help us better understand the business of how Opelika works.
As citizens, we need to do a better job of taking part in these events and meetings.
“Decisions are made by those who show up,” the old adage tells us. It’s true. If enough of us show up and voice our opinions on these decisions, we can further control how such decisions are made.
The rest of the Planning Academy graduates and I took four hours out of the month of February to learn more. That’s four episodes of “Law and Order: SVU,” and certainly we can all afford to miss just a few of those.
The management of this city is no small task, and the men and women we have in place to keep things moving are vital in our continued success.
Good city planning does not just happen. It does not exist freely in nature, some untapped element waiting to be used.
It requires dedicated public servants taking time to do their jobs to the best of their ability, honing their knowledge and skills and using them to keep the rest of us safe, healthy and aesthetically pleased.
Take an interest in this town. Get out and take part in how your city is run.
Do it, or lose all rights to complain about the state of things to me.
“Decisions are made by those who show up.”
Let’s show up, shall we?