Let's focus on the important things

I just  checked out Thursday evenings Town Council Agenda and I saw an item  on the agenda that perplexed me- Social Media Policy -- submitted by Town Councilor Bill Boyd. The document is 3 pages long and explores every facet you could imagine of telling Merrimack employees how, when and why they can use Social Media such as Facebook and Twitter.

What perplexed me is why a member of a Town Council who has always said that they frown upon   micromanaging feels that Department heads making $100,000.00 per year aren't capable of managing their people when it comes to Facebook or why they think the Town Manager isn't capable of managing her department heads. I understand that the Town Council is responsible for developing policy but when it comes to managing people, the policy has usually been to let the Town Manager know the Council’s expectations and then let the manager make whatever policies or procedures they need to meet the expectations.

Now, I realize that nothing has been passed but going by past practices I am concluding that Councilor Boyd did not spend the numerous hours needed to craft such a document unless he was asked to do so. If Councilor Boyd decided to do this on his own, without first discussing the need for it with the Town Manager and his fellow Councilors first, that would amaze me.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to keep Merrimack affordable and I am surprised that Facebook policy is high on the Town Councils list of things to discuss. Merrimack Fire, Police and TV have had Facebook sites for a while and unless there was an incident that got swept under the rug I am not sure where the Town Manager has failed in managing her people so far when it comes to Social Media.

Tomorrow night if the Town Council wants to get home an hour early, I suggest that instead of discussing the policy proposed by Councilor Boyd, someone makes the following motion. "I make a motion that we empower the Town Manager to create whatever policies and procedures she deems necessary to ensure that Social Media employed by the town of Merrimack is done so in a responsible manner". Let’s focus on the important things and keep Merrimack affordable.