Hampton Clerk of City Council Katherine Glass stumbled into local government. She’s been soothing angry citizens, organizing public meetings and counting votes for two decades.

By Nick McNamara

WHRO

Katherine Glass never expected to work in public service before 2005.

A lifelong Hampton resident, she was happily working as a legal secretary when a developer came forward with a plan to build condominiums on wetlands in her family’s Fox Hill neighborhood.

Glass’ father gathered a group of concerned neighbors to oppose the development. They voiced their concerns to the Hampton planning commission, which ultimately led the city council to reject the project.

“And that land is still marshland today.”

That laid the groundwork for the formation of the Fox Hill Civic League, but it also set the stage for Glass’ growing interest in local government. Soon enough, instead of fighting city hall, she joined it.

Glass has served as Clerk of Hampton City Council for two decades - organizing the agendas for twice-monthly city council meetings, counting votes, and recording the ordinances, resolutions and petitions before the elected body.

Hampton Clerk of City Council Katherine Glass speaks with residents prior to city council meeting in September. *Photo by Roger M. Richards //VCIJ at WHRO*

She’s spent hours of her career reciting the dry legal language of new local laws in the city council chambers - whether they’re empty or full. It’s required by Virginia law.

Glass sees it as an essential step to ensure government transparency, helping residents learn and understand the actions of their city, much like she once had to do more than 20 years ago.

“I can help demystify local government,” she said, “it’s a scary thing to somebody who doesn’t know about it.”

Glass served on Hampton’s solid waste advisory committee and on the planning commission for several years before a vacancy opened up in the clerk’s office.

Glass’ husband encouraged her to apply for the position, though she was skeptical about leaving her job as a legal secretary after 20 years.

“I rode around with the job application in my car for two weeks until the very last day, and I said ‘what the heck – it can’t hurt to throw my hat in the ring.’”

After walking in the door in March of 2005, Glass said she’s never looked back. It’s become a passion that’s carried her into the leadership of the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association, for which she was elected president in May.

“There’s a powerful feeling in knowing that you’re at the right place, doing the right thing,” Glass said.

In the realm of local government, clerks are often unacclaimed. They are city employees, holding no legal authority to pass ordinances or operate the levers of power.

They do not get the same level of attention as a mayor or council member, but they serve a vital piece of a city’s information ecosystem.“I’m kind of like the middle person that facilitates the flow of information,” she said.

“Everything that goes to those seven people (on city council) – their phone calls, their email, the legislative agenda and all of their supporting materials that they need to read to be knowledgeable about what they’re going to vote on – I’m the organizer of that information.”

Most importantly to Hampton citizens, Glass is the person “who tells the world what they did” after the votes.

The process ensures government transparency, and helps residents learn and understand the actions of their city, much like Glass once had to do more than 20 years ago.

“I don’t come to work and push paper all day. I do things that impact the lives, the well-being, the happiness of people in this community. And that’s a really cool way to spend the day.”

In her first year on the job, Glass oversaw the beginning of online broadcasts of city council meetings in Hampton and is continually looking for new ways to allow residents to engage with local government.

“We were ahead of the curve in a lot of ways, and maybe we were stupidly so,” she said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was new.”

Glass takes to the job with an enthusiasm and energy that is not always common in city clerks. At recent city council meetings, Glass chatted and joked with people in the audience, striking up cordial relationships with residents bringing forward their frustrations about council as well as issues in their neighborhoods.

“One of my favorite things is turning around a disgruntled citizen,” Glass said.

“You have to get to the level where we can talk about what really is the problem and how can I help you solve it. Or if I can’t help you solve it, can I help you explain why things are the way they are.”

Over the nearly two decades Glass has served as clerk to the council, she’s seen a lot of late nights and heated discussions. But in those difficult or uncertain moments, she remembers the words of a late friend and city colleague - Just do good stuff.

“You're not going to go wrong if you’re doing good stuff. You might make some messes, it might take you a while to get to the end, but if you’re always motivated by doing good it’s always going to come out just fine.”

Reach Nick McNamara at Nick.McNamara@whro.org.