How does Sparks city government work? Or more to the point, how well, how efficient are our city’s public workers? Being a columnist and a radio host over the years are jobs that naturally focus on the flaws, being a critic, Monday morning quarterbacking. We raise the warning flag, look for all the bad possibilities, the wasted money, the sweetheart deals, the corrupt politician.

As I have observed over the years and as common sense dictates, it is much easier to pick apart and criticize the decisions of others than to make the decisions yourself.

Equally disturbing at times is the reality of the media never giving praise, or very little of it, when things go well. A “watchdog,” a media protector of the public, thrives on looking for the chink in the armor; rarely do we look at the armor as a whole in admiration. Media is by nature a seeker of flaws. Read all the opinion columns, listen to talk radio, watch the evening news and for every one positive “great job” type comment there will be 10 telling how everything is going to hell.

I occasionally walk along the river on the bike path at lunch and on one such recent occasion I ran into Chris Cobb, a city public works boss, riding his bike. Chris and I had worked closely at Golden Eagle Regional Park, where I had installed the plumbing and he oversaw everything for the city.

I mentioned to him that on a small footbridge crossing the ditch near the Alamo Casino some screws holding the boards down had backed out and somebody was going to catch their toes and take a tumble.

So, here I was, face to face with one of those government bureaucrats we conservatives love to bad-mouth. In theory six months worth of paper shuffling should occur and no one will go out and simply tighten the screws, right?

Incidentally, Chris was actually riding his bike to get into shape before he ships out. His National Guard unit is heading to Afghanistan.

We chatted for a few moments and off he rode, saying he would take a look at the bridge himself. I saw him again a few days later and he said the boards were bad, they had a small amount of money in a budget and he would get it done.

I noted within a few days the bridge was repaired. I ran into my old high school friend Andy Echeita, another of those evil bureaucrats, who asked me how I liked the job he and his crew did on that bridge.

It was a small thing, I know, but it demonstrates an overlooked reality. Sparks city government is small, homegrown and well run. No, I am not now saying everything is perfect. But I am saying we should give credit when credit is due.

A couple weeks ago I had some political/economic questions about the Legends and related issues and called Randy Mellinger, Sparks assistant city manager. Randy graciously made time for me, and in his office I spent well over an hour in a very open conversation about city/state government relationships, growth, financing, redevelopment, etc.

Randy was, unlike I was expecting, completely open and did not hesitate to answer in a forthright and clearly honest way. He is frankly a delightful conversationalist who relishes his job and has thought out the pros and cons. Nor did he pull any punches on my views, although he was too well mannered to bluntly point out where I had been wrong.

With most everyone at the city I have noted something else: a strong sense of community, a sincere interest not just from an I-need-a-job mentality but more of a long-term, let’s-make-this-whole-place-something-we-can-be-proud-of attitude. Ironically, with the economic meltdown, that sense seems strongly heightened. We truly are all in this together.

Incidentally I will be writing soon about my experiences with perhaps the most feared city workers of all: the dreaded building inspectors.

Ira Hansen is a lifelong resident of Sparks and owner of Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing.