The job of being a member of city council involves a lot more than the four regularly scheduled meetings we have each month.  There is an alphabet soup of regional and local organizations in which we participate.  Naturally, every meeting involves staff and preparation time, travel and attendance at the meetings themselves.

For whoever sits in the mayor’s seat there are even more responsibilities. When I first took office, Joe Frank, who was then mayor of Newport News, made me a cheat sheet on a 3 by 5 index card listing the acronyms of the different organizations I would need to know, all in his very neat handwriting.

I’m not particularly sentimental about holding onto things, but I saved that index card.  It represents to me the enormity of the task of trying to be everywhere and do everything, not only within the boundaries of your city (or county), but also across the region.  It was a task that Joe was able to master.

As an example, a list of regional organizations in which we are stakeholders include the HREDA (Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance), HRMFFA (Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance), HRP (Hampton Roads Partnership), HRPDC (Hampton Roads Planning District Commission), HRTPO (Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization), HRT (Hampton Roads Transportation) and HRMCDVPC (Hampton Roads Military and Civilian Domestic Violence Prevention Council). Each one of these organizations meets monthly, and usually not on this side of the water.

This list doesn’t include all the organizations that are solely organized by the city of Hampton like the Hampton FADA (Hampton Federal Area Development Authority) or the Military Affairs Committee, the Planning Commission and the IDA (Industrial Development Authority).  There is also of course the newly formed FMA (Fort Monroe Authority) that was created by the General Assembly effective July 1 to manage Fort Monroe (actually better than the original acronym: FMFADA).

Then there are always the emergencies.  Last week Secretary Gates announced he was going to close JFCOM.  This announcement set off an entire new round of conference calls and meetings. This places an additional burden not only on elected officials but our managers and staff.

Many of us are also involved in state and federal politics – partly because we’re interested but also because we know our relationships with our elected leaders are important to the city.

Just last week, I hosted a fundraiser for Dick Saslaw, the state senate majority leader, together with Ross Mugler and Alan Diamonstein.  Friday, I had lunch in Williamsburg with Ward Armstrong, the house minority leader.  I regularly make contact with our congressional delegation and their staffs.

Some of us also have other jobs, both part and full time. Personally, I’m trying to get back to the practice of law. My coworkers in our practice have always been supportive of my responsibilities to the city, but I have a responsibility to them, too.

And we all have some or all of the usual responsibilities that everyone else faces in their daily lives – to our spouses, children, grandchildren, and assorted family and friends.

Then there are all the events we attend on behalf of the city at churches, neighborhood meetings, parades, breakfasts, ribbon cuttings, ceremonies and events at Langley, NASA and Fort Monroe.  There are also the charitable events we attend at the vast array of organizations in our community that are doing good works like the Hampton Roads Red Cross, the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula and Habitat for Humanity.  Many of us also regularly read for the Mayor’s Book Club.

So please forgive us if we can’t be everywhere all the time.  Some would be if they could be, and every member of council is hard working, dedicated and trying to balance a myriad of duties.  We are all highly committed to serving the citizens and the community.

Personally, I haven’t figured out how to be Joe Frank yet, but I’m working on it.