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Hello and welcome back to another
segment of how we govern here in Rock

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Springs and today I'm joined by
Councilman Zotti. Welcome. Hello. Thanks

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for having me. And we're going to talk
about the role and duties of our city

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council today. Yes, sir. Great.
So may I start off with Yes, sir. Well,

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as council our main
functions are we serve as a legislative

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body for the city. Which means we make
policy decisions,

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pass laws or ordinances as well as
resolutions. Resolutions are different

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from ordinances in that they are used to
express opinion,

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intent or decision. Uh
used to address certain specific

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policies. Uh we then also are in charge
of budget. So we set and review,

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negotiate the budget and pass the budget
and then monitor the city's finances

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throughout the year.
>> [snorts]

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» Um we also have an administrative
oversight in that we do approve

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appointments for various councils,
committees, um

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outside agencies and that or things that
we may be have liaisons for the council.

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Uh
I guess first and foremost we are

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represent representatives of our ward.
Um each councilman represents a specific

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ward that they live in.
That ward is in charge of they're the

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ones who vote for their specific city
councilor. That doesn't mean that as a

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city councilor I'm beholden to only that
ward. My job is for the city as a whole

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and to represent and the citizens of
Rock Springs

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as best as we can. Um
as a whole rather than just by a ward.

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Kind of gist of kind of what we do as
far as council. Well, I can't imagine a

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more qualified person to speak to this.
Yeah,

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I guess so.
Been for a while. How many years have

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you served our city? I was first voted
on in 2004

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after my
3 years into my first term I did have to

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resign because I moved out of the ward
and then that following election I was

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elected again.
So it's been almost 22

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years right now. That's a lot of
service.

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» It's a lot of time and I think
look back it doesn't seem like it's been

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that long cuz it's I have enjoyed it. Um
there have been some rocky times in that

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like you know getting anything you do
but

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um it's something I really have enjoyed
doing and being part of the community

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that I grew up in. Well and that's I
think why all of us do this and right is

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to give back to our community and it's
something that

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» [snorts]
>> I don't know that everybody sees you

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know when things are working really well
we will have robust discussion about

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topics on the agenda
uh and then we vote and move forward. Uh

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we're not always going to be in lockstep
on everything right? That's why there

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are nine elected folks overseeing city
government uh is to allow for all those

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opinions and contacts with the public uh
to be represented. Exactly. And and and

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as as far as duties of council that I
kind of

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forgot it but it's
it is our job to really fully understand

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what we're being asked to do
to vote on.

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Um it's the responsibility of a council
member to really investigate

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what is up on the agenda and what we're
voting for because every ordinance every

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resolution does affect the community in
some way.

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And if we're not doing our job and
looking at both sides of the issue um

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things can go pretty haywire pretty
quick. So it is really incumbent on

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those in the public to elect the people
who they know are going to put forth the

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effort to understand the issues.
Um that is one thing that I've learned

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the most important lesson is both sides
of the story. There are two sides to

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every story and you really need to vet
that out before making a decision.

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Absolutely. I think you'd probably agree
with me that the least important opinion

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in our duties is our own.
Pretty much. Yes.

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» Yeah. You know, we have to use our good
judgment, obviously.

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» Correct. But we're not there to impose
our wants and beliefs on the community.

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We're there to represent the community's
wants and beliefs. Uh which is sometimes

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is sometimes difficult. I mean, there
are certainly things we've done that you

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know, I personally was not thrilled
about. Oh, yeah. But it isn't our role

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to
do what we want. It's our role to serve

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the community and and do what the
community is looking for. Correct. And

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in some things that are hard is if you
there's decisions that need to be made

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that are out there
and you get polls that are usually on

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Facebook and things like that where it
may indicate things should go one way

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that this is what the public wants. What
you need to understand is there's a lot

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more to that story and as a council
member, I may

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vote against that poll simply because I
know either the financial position of

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the city or the various laws and
ordinances or state statutes that apply

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that limit us to do some of the things
that are wanted to be done, but that is

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my job and I'm elected to represent the
city as best as I can. Absolutely.

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Leadership is often about making
difficult decisions because they're the

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right ones. Yes. Uh and it it is not
just about what's popular.

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Um and there are sometimes
So, part of why we're doing all these

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videos is to try to help the public have
a better understanding of how their city

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government works. Mhm. For so that they
won't feel so disconnected when those

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kinds of things happen cuz they
absolutely need to understand

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as much as we do
to really be able to give us that

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feedback.
>> Yes. And if they're frustrated because

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we're voting against say a Facebook poll
>> Mhm. because we're following a state

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statute, we sure as heck better make
sure that we're explaining that to the

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public like, "Hey, we hear you, but the
law says this."

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» Yes. Communication's key in any of those
circumstances. Definitely.

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» Very good. Well, is there anything else
you'd like to add, sir? I think I'm good

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for now. Nothing I can think of.
>> you, Councilman Zotti, for joining us on

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How We Govern.
>> Rock Springs. Great. Thank you.