Albert Lea City Council member Vern Rasmussen was right Monday.

He was the sole vote against naming the red geranium the city flower, and he said he voted against the proposal because he and the people of Albert Lea weren’t given time to consider it. He had only heard of it the prior Wednesday and, boom, on Monday a voted was expected.

Sure, the red geranium is a great flower. Sure, the Bloom Where You’re Planted program has been successful. Indeed it would make a great city flower. But how can it truly be the city flower if the plan to designate it the city flower hasn’t had time to garner citywide support.

On top of that, many city leaders had questions Monday but voted for it anyway. Councilor George Marin asked about incurring costs. A mild response said likely none. It wasn’t a definite answer. Councilor John Severtson asked if other cities designated city flowers. No one knew. Councilor Reid Olson said he “thought” people would support the measure. Wouldn’t it be preferable to know people support it? Heck, this idea didn’t even go to a citizens’ advisory board first.

Now imagine if the City Council got rid of the pre-agenda meeting and implemented a rule that items introduced at one council meeting could not be voted upon until the next. This is how many councils in other cities operate, and it is why they don’t need pre-agenda meetings. (The rule could be waived in case of emergencies, of course.)

A proposal comes to the City Council. The city leaders listen to it. They can comment or say nothing. Then two weeks later — after people have written letters in the paper, made comments to their council members, chewed it over at their service clubs, sent e-mail to the city department heads, etc. — it returns for a vote. Everyone involved has had a lot more time to make an informed decision. What elected official wouldn’t rather make informed decisions?

When the Legislature approved the common loon as the state bird in 1961, was it on a whim? Of course not. There were probably newspaper stories saying the legislators were considering the idea. Citizens told their leaders they loved the idea. The bill circulated around the chambers of the Capitol and even sat on the governor’s desk before it became a sure thing. The state leaders knew what people thought, not just what the proposers of the idea thought.

Way to go, Rasmussen. We know you wanted the people to have some say in the matter.