Princeton’s new municipal complex has lost its “new building” smell after being occupied by the Texas city’s administrative staff for a year.
However, it remains something of an architectural marvel … at least to my eyes.
I have had occasion to visit with senior city staff in recent weeks. I have met with City Manager Derek Borg and some of his administrative officials in rooms designed — in the words of Borg and Mayor Brianna Chacon — to promote governmental transparency.
How does it do that? They have installed lots of glass that otherwise could be walled off from public view.
I recently met with Borg in a conference room next to the city’s development office. As he and I visited, I could see people walking back and forth; most of them were staffers, but I noticed those I presumed to be just plain folks … like me. Therein was the reason, as Borg and Chacon explained it, for installing all that glass in this building.
It certainly provides a spacious working environment for Princeton’s staff. The structure brings the police and fire departments under the same roof as the city administrative staff.
It also does — in its subtle way — give the impression of a transparent operation. Anyone walking into the building can peer through the windows and watch those who work for the public at work on their behalf. I realize it’s mainly symbolic, but the transparent symbolism is important, too.
I find it refreshing, even as I am doing my job as a reporter trying to get information from the various officials who work for my neighbors and me.