Meeting one...No fun

Meeting One – Orlando City Council Meeting - November 1, 2010 – 2 pm

On November 1st the Orlando City Council lead by Mayor Buddy Dyer, met in a medium sized room that resembled a lavish movie theater. Instead of enjoying a movie, however, I would be listening in on various topics regarding the City Beautiful and the issues of importance at the time.

Sitting in front of an official looking blue drapery background, complete with flags adorned with fancy, yellow tassels, Dyer introduced himself, as though anyone from this town might possibly be unfamiliar with him.

The proceeding began with an invocation from a local minister. I found this odd, but at the same time refreshing.

Just like everything else with government, it took approximately five minutes just to announce Reverend Gilmore who would be presenting the invocation. After that came the pledge of allegiance. At this point I wondered how long I might be stuck listening to these people.

Then it hit me. I have to get used to this if I want to be a successful journalist. It is not all glitz and glamor, but sometimes the painstaking process of sitting through a meeting like this can end up presenting us with an excellent opportunity for a story…or it can sleep us craving a nap.

The role-call took up some more time. That was followed by the bestowment of two awards on colleagues of those in charge of the meeting.

After a few more pats on the back, the meeting finally began.

Fiesta in the Park, a local art festival at Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando was the first issue raised. It was described in great detail.

Oh wow…these seats are really comfortable…hmmm…I wonder what that person’s deal is over there…wait…snap out of it, focus!

I think it is a requirement for people to speak in slow, monotone voices at these meetings.

The gentleman responsible for the Fiesta in the Park event stepped to the podium and bragged about how great the event was.

Then Patty Sheehan, commissioner from District 4 spoke on a sale of Cisterns and Composters. She then continued to ramble on and on about other events, include something about a farmer’s market and so on.

I really have to say that my first experience with one of these meetings was quite disappointing. I would like to avoid this at all costs.

I feel like too many assignments like this would turn one off to this career.
It seemed more like an opportunity for various representatives to brag about whatever events they were responsible for. One member even took a side step from her original speech and starting talking about how Bethune-Cookman’s football team will, in her opinion defeat The Rattlers of Florida A&M.

This meeting seemed like a very inefficient way to discuss these types of issues. From what I gathered, there were maybe fifteen minutes that actually contained anything of substance.

The only story at this meeting is the waste of tax payer’s money that is spent on this type of meeting.

I went from excited; to bored, to angry, to relieved it was over, all in a very short period of time.

I was told that many times, as a journalist, you will sit in on a meeting like this and nothing will come of it. It is the dreaded assignment that no one wants. Now I realize why those who told me this felt that way.