Evan Coren wanted to know how many pools the Columbia Association would need to build if thetown?s population grew with the downtown redevelopment.
But the CA wouldn?t build any pools because of a decision made by a previous board.
“I had no way of knowing that was a decision of the past board,” said Coren, who was elected in April.
This prompted Coren to push for the creation of an online searchable database of all board decisions.
“It would really clarify who is responsible for making what decisions, so residents can hold the board accountable,” he said, adding it would also boost communication among the board, public and CA staff.
The project would cost about $4,000 for a hired programmer to build the database, and the board could look to high school interns for the data entry, Coren said. This part of the plan was stripped from Coren?s proposal that went to the board, he said.
However, other board members didn?t share Coren?s enthusiasm for the project.
At last week?s board meeting, members were split on the idea, sending his plan back to the Planning and Strategy Committee.
Most members seemed to think it was a good idea, but that it needed more work, said Steve Sattler, CA?s director of communications and marketing.
The biggest concern is staff, many of whom are consumed in implementing the association?s Resident Services System, which would allow residents to sign up for services and classes online, Board Member Miles Coffman said.
“It?s a nice-to-have, but it?s not a high priority,” Coffman said.
Community activist Alex Hekimian, head of Alliance for a Better Columbia, knows what it?s like to “plow through a lot of previous minutes,” and Coren?s plan would boost communication to residents, he said.
“Too often, a lot of decisions the board has made have either not been documented well or kept close to the vest at CA,” he said.
