BUT. >> TO.
GET. TO THE. CITY COUNCILOR AND THE CHAIR
OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS TODAY'S APRIL 24TH AND THE EXACT TIME IS 1033. IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025 MODIFYING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF OPEN
MEETING LAW AND RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS MEETINGS IN A PUBLIC PLACE THAT IS OPEN PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE CONDUCTING THIS HEARING VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT'S ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED@BOSTON.GOV. FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH
TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIOS CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT KICK AGO
AT BOSTON.COM AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE TWO
MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND HAVE NOT DONE SO, PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON.
MEGAN KAVANAUGH AT NGEE ANN. SCAV A N G H A BOSTON.GOV FOR THE ZOOM LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET
0410. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO EXAMINE AND MODERNIZE THE CITY CHARTER IN ADVANCE OF THE CITY'S 400TH ANNIVERSARY. THE MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR DREW IM HERE AND WAS
REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 25TH 2026 TODAY AND JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL UH COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND COUNCILOR JULIAN HERE WILL GO
TO THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS YOU MAY HAVE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE FIRST PANEL. COUNCILOR HERE YOU HAVE THE ZOOM. UH THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND I ALSO WANT TO EXCUSE MYSELF FOR NOT BEING ON CAMERA. IT IS SCHOOL VACATION WEEK BUT A PUBLIC SERVANTS WORK IS NEVER
DONE JUST BECAUSE UH, YOU HAVE ,YOU KNOW, FAMILY SITUATIONS TO HANDLE. SO UM, MY BANDWIDTH IS A LITTLE BIT LOW AND SO I RATHER MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME, UM, AND SPARE YOU, UH, SEEING ME.
UH, SO I JUST WANT TO THANK MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR PANELISTS AND EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED HARD TO GET US TO THIS POINT. OUR OFFICE IS EXCITED FOR THIS HEARING TODAY TO START THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHARTER
REFORM AND MODERNIZATION OF THE CITY OF BOSTON. WE WANT TO THANK THE ADVOCATES WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO US ON THIS ISSUE AND INSPIRED US TO FOLLOW THIS HEARING ORDER. UM, AS OUR CITY APPROACHES OUR
40TH FOR OH MY GOD, 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING, WE ARE PRESENTING UH WE ARE PRESENTED WITH A CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON HOW THE CITY GOVERNS ITSELF AND
WHETHER ITS GOVERNING FRAMEWORK CONTINUES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS. THE LAST TIME WE REFORMED. OUR CHARTER. WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 YEARS AGO AND MODERN AND SINCE THEN
MODERNIZATION UM IS FAR LONG OVERDUE. WE UNDERSTAND. HOWEVER, THAT THIS WILL BE A COMPLEX PROCESS AS COMMUNITY DECIDES WHICH PATH IS MOST APPROPRIATE. IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE
DEVELOPED AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INPUT IS COLLECTED. THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS PROCESS IS UM, MULTIPLIED BY THE FACT THAT THE BOSTON CITY CHARTER IS IN FACT NOT A SINGLE DOCUMENT
BUT RATHER A COLLECTION OF STATUSES, STATUES, AMENDMENTS AND HOME RULE PETITIONS. OUR OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO THE LONG GAME ON THIS ISSUE. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK MIKE
CABINET AND ON OUR CENTRAL STAFF FOR HER RESEARCH TO PREPARE FOR TODAY'S HEARING. THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY UH, FOR THIS RESEARCH IS THAT WE HAVE THREE PATHWAYS FOR CHARTER
REFORM UM, AN AMENDMENT UM, FOR CHARTER REFORM, AN AMENDMENT A CHARTER COMMISSION WHICH REQUIRES CERTIFIED SIGNATURES OF 15% OF REGISTERED VOTERS TO
INITIATE THIS IS THE PATH WAY IF THERE ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN THE CHARTER SUCH AS CHANGING THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT TO A HOME RULE PETITION, THIS MAY BE A
PATHWAY IF THERE ARE ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO AMEND IN THE CHARTER BUT ARE MAINTAINING THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE. THREE BINDING BALLOT QUESTION ONE REASON EXAMPLE OF THIS IS
THE BALLOT QUESTION THAT THEN COUNCILOR EDWARDS LED IN 2021 THAT GAVE THE COUNCIL THE BUDGETARY POWERS IT NOW ALLEGEDLY HAS WITH THIS A THIRD
OPTION THERE ARE THREE WAYS A BINDING BALLOT QUESTION CAN BE INITIATED. FIRST, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY UM BY TWO THIRDS VOTE AND WITH MAYORAL APPROVAL SUBMIT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
VOTERS. SECOND, THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONSIDER AND VOTE UPON ANY CHARTER AMENDMENTS FORMALLY SUGGESTED BY THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL. THIRD, THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL
CONSIDER AND VOTE UPON ANY CHARTER AMENDMENTS OR REVISIONS SUGGESTED UM IT VIA A CITIZEN'S PETITION SIGNED BY 200 VOTERS, RESIDENTS, ADVOCATES AND
POLICYMAKERS HAVE RAISED ONGOING CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND CHECKS AND BALANCES CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND ACCESSIBILITY WITHIN BOSTON'S CURRENT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TODAY, UH, TO BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION AND THE PROCESS OF RESTORING TRUST IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND AS MANY PATHWAYS AS WE CAN TO INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LISTENING TO THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE LEAD, UM, IN OTHER SPACES AND PLACES AROUND THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. MADAM CHAIR. . >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEJIA,
UM, COUNCILOR FLYNN, DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE ANY OPENING REMARKS OR SHOULD WE GO STRAIGHT TO THE ADVOCATES PANEL? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, I'M HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PANEL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY, GREAT.
>> UM, SO I'LL INTRODUCE, UH, THE FOLKS WHO HAVE JOINED US TODAY AND THEN COUNCILOR MEJIA YOU LET ME KNOW WHO UM, I APOLOGIZE I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME OF WHO YOU'D LIKE TO GO FIRST AND I APOLOGIZE IF
I SAY YOUR YOUR ANY OF YOUR YOUR NAME WRONG. UM, ALOMA HRABOWSKI WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GENDER UNITY, RICHARD YOUNG WHO'S THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF CIVIC BLACKS AND THEN JOHN SMITH SAINT CYR, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JAMES SMITH SUICIDE PREVENTION CENTER FOR YOUNG BLACK BOYS INC. UM,
COME TO MEJIA IF YOU HAVE ANY UM, PREFERENCE IF YOU WANT TO GO FIRST. YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT. RICHARD HAS A HARD. STOP AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE AND AND AND ALSO THE WHOLE JEN, UH, CREW UH, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCESS, SO I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING THEIR PRESENTATION TOGETHER. IS THAT TRUE TO SEEING PEOPLE
SHAKING THEIR HEADS SO THAT I KNOW SO I, I THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING TOGETHER MADAM CHAIR AND THEN JOHN. OKAY, GREAT. >> UM, RICHARD, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN OR HAVE
YOU SHARED UH, THE PRESENTATION ARE WE NOT. PLANNING TO USE SLIDES AND PLANNING TO JUST SPEAK? OKAY GREAT. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI. >> UM, SO FIRST I WANTED TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR TIME AND FOR ALLOWING US TO
JOIN THIS HEARING. MY NAME IS ELEANOR BOESKY. I LIVE IN EAST BOSTON. SO SHOUT OUT MADAM CHAIR. UM, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GENUINE CITY, A BOSTON BASED NONPROFIT. UM, WE CREATE
INTERGENERATIONAL, MULTIRACIAL CROSS CLASS COHORTS. WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS DIFFERENCE TO LEARN ABOUT AND TAKE ACTION ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING THEIR COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY BY
CREATING PARTICIPATORY SPACES THAT ELEVATE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL DECISION MAKING. WHEN CONCILOR MEJIA HERE, UH, CONNECTED WITH OUR FOUNDER JARON CHANG, HE MENTIONED OUR FRIENDS OVER AT CIVIC LAX WHO
RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A CITIZEN ASSEMBLY PROCESS TO DELIBERATE ON CITY CHARTER UPDATES IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. SO WE ARE SUPER GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE RICHARD YOUNG, THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SO WE CAN
SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR PROCESS AND LEARNINGS. UM, RICHARD, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, I'M SO. PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU ALL HERE TODAY. UM UH AS STATED MY NAME IS RICHARD YOUNG. I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF CIVIC LUXE DOWN HERE IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. UH, WHERE I'M ZOOMING IN FROM UM, CIVIC LUXE IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING CIVIC HEALTH HERE IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. WE DO THAT BY HELPING FOLKS IN
OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND AND GET INVOLVED IN CIVIC LIFE, CONNECT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND WORK TO REIMAGINE DECISIONS AND HOW THEY GET MADE IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT I'M DOING ALL THREE OF THOSE
THINGS I THINK UM WOULD BE THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY THAT WE JUST HOSTED LAST MONTH HERE IN LEXINGTON UM, THAT STATED UH THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY UM WAS
FOCUSED ON CHARTER REVIEW. UH, IT IS IN FACT THE FIRST REVIEW OF THE LEXINGTON FAIR COUNTY UM CHARTER THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE SINCE THE YEAR 1998. UM AND WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL
TO BE LEADING THE PROCESS. UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IT CAME TO. BE, UM, HOW THIS PROCESS SORT OF UNFOLDED, WHAT WHAT OUTCOMES CAME OUT OF IT AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AND AND HOW THAT COULD
BE UM, TRANSFERRED IN IN ANY WAY TO OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO UM WE. >> WERE APPROACHED. IN UH 2022. LATE LATE 20 TO EARLY 23 BY A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN DOING CHARTER REVIEW.
UM, LIKE I SAID HAD BEEN SINCE 1998 SINCE SINCE THE CHARTER HAD BEEN REVIEWED UM, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE 2021 REDISTRICTING PROCESS, A NUMBER OF CONCERNS WERE BROUGHT FORTH BOTH BY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND.
>> THE COMMUNITY. ABOUT THE WAY THAT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS HERE IN LEXINGTON WORKED, AND THAT SPARKED A BIT OF A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT CHARTER UH REVIEW MORE BROADLY BECAUSE THE
CITY'S REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS HOUSED INSIDE THE CITY CHARTER. UM, UH, OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE WERE. >> IN. CONVERSATION WITH OUR URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL, UM. >> ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK. LIKE TO.
UH, MOST EFFECTIVELY. TACKLE CHARTER REVIEW IN A WAY THAT DEEPLY ENGAGES THE PUBLIC. UM, AND WHAT WE. ULTIMATELY SETTLED ON WAS. HOSTING A CIVIC ASSEMBLY. AND, UM, YOU ALL MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH CIVIC. ASSEMBLIES, BUT THE. >> QUICKEST WAY OF.
DESCRIBING THEM. UH, IS I'VE BEEN TOLD NOT TO SAY THIS AS IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT BORING BUT JURY DUTY FOR PUBLIC POLICY IT IS A REPRESENTATIVE LOTTERY SELECTION PROCESS UM, WHERE
RANDOM RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY ARE SELECTED UM GROUPED TOGETHER BASED ON THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS. UM AND THEN. UH SORT OF. EMPOWERED TO. LEARN ABOUT AN ISSUE,
DELIBERATE ON THAT ISSUE AND. >> THEN ULTIMATELY COME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATION. UM, WE DECIDED TO HOST OUR CIVIC ASSEMBLY IN. 2026 BECAUSE. UM. >> ANY CHANGES TO OUR UM URBAN
COUNTY UH CHARTER. HAVE TO GO ON. >> TO THE PUBLIC BALLOT AND WE WANTED THAT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE SAME YEAR THAT IT WOULD GO ON TO THE BALLOT. SO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF OUR ASSEMBLY WILL HOPEFULLY BE GOING ONTO THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER.
UM, ONE OF THE CONDITIONS FOR US IN WANTING TO DO THIS WAS THAT WE. >> WANTED COUNCILOR TO STAY AT AN ARM'S LENGTH, UH. >> WE WANTED THEM TO DEEPLY LISTEN TO OUR PROCESS. UM, TO UH, RESPOND. MEANINGFULLY TO THE RESULTS THAT CAME OUT OF IT.
BUT WE WANTED TO RUN THIS. PROCESS OURSELVES AND NOT HAVE ,UM, COUNCILOR SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. UM, AND SO. CIVIC LEXI'S. ROLE WAS REALLY TOP. >> TO BOTTOM RUNNING THIS ASSEMBLY.
WE DECIDED TO BUILD OUR ASSEMBLY WITH. 36 PEOPLE. UM, AND. WE, UH, DID THAT VIA A LOTTERY SELECTION PROCESS. WE SENT OUT 10,000 UM, ENDED UP SENDING OUT.
11,500 MAILERS, UM, TO RANDOMLY SELECTED RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES USING. PROPERTY VALUATION DATA. UM, HERE IN. LEXINGTON FROM THERE WE HAD. UH A NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
APPLY. THEY GAVE. >> US. THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ACROSS EIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS. UM AND THEN WE. USED UH SOFTWARE. CALLED PANEL NOT TO BUILD AS MANY REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS OF 36 PEOPLE. >> THAT WOULD.
REPRESENT LEXINGTON. WITHIN A MEANINGFUL. UM MARGIN OF ERROR, UM, ACROSS ALL EIGHT OF THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS . SO AGE, RACE, HOUSING STATUS, POLITICAL REGISTRATION INCOME,
UH VARIOUS OTHER UM DEMOGRAPHICS UM THAT GAVE US 204 PANELS. . >> WE RANDOMLY SELECTED. ONE USING A BINGO CAGE. UH AND WE. GOT PANEL. >> NUMBER 24. UM, THAT LOTTERY SELECTION. PROCESS TOOK PLACE IN JANUARY
OF THIS YEAR. BUT IN THE PROCESS AND THE TIME BEFORE THAT WE SPENT A LOT. >> OF TIME ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY ONTO WHAT SPECIFICALLY OUR ASSEMBLY WOULD BE LOOKING AT IN THE CITY CHARTER. WE DID A CITYWIDE PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, AND ULTIMATELY. PICKED THE TWO TOPICS. UM, TWO TOPICS FOR REVIEW UM OUT OF EIGHT POTENTIAL ONES INSIDE OUR CITY CHARTER. THE FIRST ONE IS COUNT THE COMPENSATION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS .
THE SECOND. ONE WAS THE. FREQUENCY OF CHARTER REVIEW IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM UH, THOSE TOPICS WERE SELECTED BECAUSE ONE IS THE MOST. CONTROVERSIAL IN OUR DATA AND ONE IS THE LEAST CONTROVERSIAL IN OUR DATA.
AND WE WANTED TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WOULD MOVE ON THOSE CONTROVERSIAL. >> AND NOT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES WHEN. PRESENTED WITH ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. UM, SO WE CONVENED. THESE 36 PEOPLE ACROSS THE MONTH OF MAY. UM WE COMPENSATED.
EACH ONE $1,200 IN ADDITION. TO PROVIDING THEM WITH CHILDCARE AND UH AND TRANSPORTATION STIPENDS. THEY SPENT. ABOUT 35. >> HOURS TOGETHER. ACROSS THE MONTH OF MARCH.
UM UH, IN SEVEN SESSIONS THAT TOOK PLACE AT A HISTORIC UNIVERSITY HERE IN LEXINGTON. UM DURING THAT TIME THEY. LEARNED ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT . UM, SOME OF THEM. >> HAD NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED WHAT THE URBAN COUNTY
COUNCIL WAS. UM BEFORE. UH BECOMING PART OF THIS PROCESS. UM. >> UH THEY LEARNED ABOUT UH THE TWO. ISSUES AT. >> HAND COUNCIL COMPENSATION. AND CHARTER REVIEW. >> WE LOOKED AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO UM, AND THEN
THEY DELIBERATED. >> ON POTENTIAL UM, CHANGES. THEY UH IN THEIR FIRST SESSION THEY ADOPTED A THRESHOLD VOTING PROCESS, UM, IN WHICH 70% OF THE ASSEMBLY HAD TO AGREE.
ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM TO ADVANCE. UM, AND UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT THREE. RECOMMENDATIONS ONE MORE THAN WE EXPECTED. UM, CAME OUT OF THIS PROCESS,
UM, THE LOWEST OF WHICH HAD A. RECOMMENDATION UM, THRESHOLD OF 84.6% OF OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. THE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT WERE. INCREASING COUNCIL COMPENSATION . TO THE AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE IN
LEXINGTON, FAYETTE COUNTY WHICH IS AROUND. $59,000. >> JUST UNDER 60. UH THE SECOND ONE WAS CREATING NEW ACCOUNTABILITY AND ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, WHICH ASSEMBLY MEMBERS
VOTED UH TO. CREATE UM, UH AS A SORT OF. UH PACKAGE WITH THE COUNCIL COMPENSATION INCREASE. AND THE THIRD ONE WAS TO ACTUALLY INSTITUTIONALIZE THE PROCESS OF HOSTING.
>> A CIVIC ASSEMBLY EVERY EIGHT YEARS HERE IN LEXINGTON TO REVIEW THE URBAN COUNTY CHARTER. IN ADDITION TO CREATING A NEW STANDING COMMITTEE THAT WOULD RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON AN ANNUAL BASIS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE
REVIEWED IN THE CITY CHARTER. UM, WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS IS THAT IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL PROCESS. >> FOR THEM. UM, THE UH THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS THAT. WENT THROUGH. IT WERE UM I THINK.
ONE OF THEM SAID I DON'T AGREE WITH ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAME UP WITH. UM, BUT. >> I THOUGHT THE PROCESS. WAS FANTASTIC AND I DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT. UM. WE WERE UH ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WAS INCREDIBLY
ENCOURAGING ABOUT IT WAS. HEARING ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, UM, WHO ENTERED UM THIS PROCESS WITH PREDISPOSED VIEWS ON ONE OF OUR TOPICS. ACTUALLY SWITCH POSITIONS WHEN
UH, PRESENTED WITH NEW EVIDENCE . UM, ONE PERSON. >> SAYING. THAT THEY THOUGHT THE CHARTER SHOULD BE REVIEWED. REGULARLY UM, AT THE END OF THE ASSEMBLY. THEY THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULDN'T AND ONE PERSON WHO. DIDN'T THINK THE CHARTER SHOULD BE REVIEWED.
REGULARLY AT THE END OF THE ASSEMBLY THOUGHT IT SHOULD. UM AND SO THAT IS ALWAYS UH, A GOOD SIGN. WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE PRESENTED WITH NEW EVIDENCE CHANGING THEIR POSITIONS. UM, IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, WE
ARE PRESENTING OUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. >> THESE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH. OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. UM, FOUR OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTING ALONGSIDE. >> US IN OUR COUNCIL'S GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE UH. TUESDAY OF. NEXT WEEK. >> ON APRIL 28TH. UM FROM.
THERE COUNCIL UM HAS. AGREED THEY ADOPTED A RESOLUTION TO MEANINGFULLY RESPOND TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, OUR HOPE IS THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. >> WILL BE ADVANCED INTO COUNCIL WORK SESSION UM.
UNCHANGED UH AND WILL BE PLACED ON THE. BALLOT BY COUNCIL UM UH IN. SUBSEQUENT COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR UH TO GO ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER UM IN OUR GENERAL
ELECTION. UM THERE ARE A LOT OF LEARNINGS THAT WE HAVE FROM THIS PROCESS . UM, BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FOR ME IS THAT. HOSTING A CIVIC.
ASSEMBLY OF RANDOMLY SELECTED DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF LEXINGTON. RESIDENTS. >> UM IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO REVIEW A PUBLIC DOCUMENT LIKE A CITY CHARTER. UM UH I IT IS A TOPIC THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE IF ANYONE.
>> KNOWS ANYTHING. ABOUT AND SO UH, TRADITIONAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MECHANISMS, LARGE SURVEYS, FOCUS. GROUPS, UM, UH. TOWN HALLS CONVENINGS KIND OF.
WOULD HAVE A LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS BECAUSE PEOPLE. DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. WHAT WHAT WHAT THE UH, CHARTER. >> REVIEW IS NOR THE IMPLICATIONS. SO THIS PROCESS FEELS UNIQUELY. SUITED FOR THIS.
PARTICULAR UM, TOPIC BECAUSE IT ALLOWS RESIDENTS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ANY SENSE OF. FRAME FRAMEWORK OR CONTEXT TO LEARN DEEPLY ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS. OF THEIR DECISIONS REALLY
WRESTLE WITH THOSE RAMIFICATIONS. UM, AND THEN. UH. >> ULTIMATELY TRY TO FIND SOME SENSE OF SHARED CONSENSUS IN A BROAD WAY, PARTICULARLY WITH
SUPERMAJORITY UM, UH, VOTING. SO UH, WITH THAT. UH THAT. WAS OUR UH THE QUICKEST VERSION I. >> COULD. DO OF OUR CIVIC ASSEMBLY PROCESS. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF IF IF APPROPRIATE
. GREAT. >> THANK YOU. AND, UM, TO ILONA, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD OR BEFORE WE GO OVER TO OUR NEXT PANELIST, UM. >> YOU KNOW, JUST TO SHARE
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AT UNITY HAVE BEEN, UM, LOOKING MORE INTO HOSTING THESE TYPES OF ASSEMBLY IS AND ARE HAPPY TO SHARE ANY LEARNINGS THAT WE COME ALONG THE WAY IF THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT YOU CHOOSE
TO MOVE IN. UM YEAH JUST HAPPY TO TO BE A PART OF IT. GREAT. >> AND JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU ARE YOU A SUCCESSOR UM AGENCY OF THE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY OR YOU HAD MENTIONED AARON TANAKA. OH NO. >> I SAID UH, JARON CHANG OH.
OKAY OKAY NEVERMIND. NO NO. >> NO I UM WE HAVE OKAY. OUR NEXT UH PANELIST JOHN. HELLO. >> HI. >> GOOD MORNING.
UM GOOD MORNING. TO WE IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO HAVE THE MIC CLOSER TO YOU YOU'RE COMING IN A LITTLE FAINT . JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION. OKAY. >> IS THAT BETTER? THAT'S A LOT BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND YOU HAVE DO YOU HAVE THE ZOOM. ALL RIGHT. >> THANK YOU. UM, SO YES, MY NAME IS JOHN SMITH. CYNTHIA I'VE BEEN A BOSTON RESIDENT MY WHOLE LIFE. I'M HERE BECAUSE THE BOSTON CITY CHARTER IS NOT JUST ABOUT A LEGAL STRUCTURE.
IT ALSO SPEAKS TO HOW POWER IS ORGANIZED, WHO CONTROLS MAJOR DECISIONS AND WHETHER BOSTON'S SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS BUILT TO PRODUCE REAL ACCOUNTABILITY . UM BOSTON'S OWN CHARTER
MATERIALS DESCRIBE THE CHARTER AS A PATCHWORK OF STATUES AND AMENDMENTS RATHER THAN A SINGLE CLEAR CODE THAT MATTERS BECAUSE STRUCTURE SHAPES POWER IF THE
STRUCTURE IS FRAGMENTED, DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW AND OVERLY CONCENTRATED ACCOUNTABILITY BECOMES WEAKER AND REFORM BECOMES HARDER AND BOSTON'S GOVERNMENT IS STRUCTURED IN A
WAY THAT CONCENTRATES TOO MUCH POWER IN ONE OFFICE AND LEAVES TOO LITTLE POWER ELSEWHERE TO MEANINGFULLY COUNTERBALANCE IT . BOSTON HAS ALREADY SEEN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE PUBLIC
VOTES FOR A MORE DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE, AND CITY HALL RESISTED. IN 2021, BOSTON VOTERS APPROVED THE BALLOT QUESTION ASKING WHETHER THE APPOINTED SCHOOL COMMITTEE SHOULD BE CHANGED TO
ONE ELECTED BY BOSTON RESIDENTS THE MEASURE PASSED BY WHITE OR BY A WIDE MARGIN ABOUT 79% TO 21%. BUT THAT VOTE WAS ADVISORY NOT
SELF-EXECUTING SO IT DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE THE LAW. THE RESULT IS THAT IN 2026 MAYOR WU IS STILL MAKING SCHOOL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS WHICH SHOWS THE LARGER POINT EVEN
WHEN THE PUBLIC VOTES CLEARLY FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE, THE EXISTING SYSTEM CAN STILL KEEP REAL POWER CONCENTRATED AT THE TOP UNLESS THE UNDERLYING STRUCTURE IS ACTUALLY CHANGED.
SO THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST WHETHER THERE IS PUBLIC PROCESS. THE PROBLEM IS IS WHERE ACTUAL DECISION MAKING POWER LIVES INSIDE THAT PROCESS. SO YES RESIDENTS CAN TESTIFY
PARENTS CAN BE HELD, PUBLIC COMMENT CAN BE TAKEN. BUT WHEN THE KEY LEVERAGE POINTS ARE ALREADY CONCENTRATED IN ONE OFFICE, PARTICIPATION BECOMES THINNER THAN IT LOOKS.
SORRY. >> BY THE TIME THE PUBLIC ENTERS THE PROCESS, THE FRAMEWORK IS OFTEN ALREADY SET BY THE TIME OVERSIGHT BEGINS, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH HAS ALREADY SHAPED THE MOST
IMPORTANT TERMS OF THE DECISION . THAT IS NOT A BALANCE OF POWER AND FOR ME THIS IS BIGGER THAN ANY ONE BUDGET CYCLE OR CONTRACT. I TRY TO SHOULD DISTRIBUTE
AUTHORITY IN A WAY THAT CREATES MEANINGFUL CHECKS, CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY AND REAL COUNTERBALANCE BETWEEN BRANCHES . IF TOO MUCH POWER IS CONCENTRATED IN ONE OFFICE THEN OVERSIGHT BECOMES REACTIVE
INSTEAD OF EFFECTIVE. THAT IS WHY THIS HEARING MATTERS. THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER BOSTON HAS HEARINGS, VOTES OR FORMAL PROCEDURES. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER BOSTON'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
IS BALANCED ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE DECISIONS HARDEN, NOT JUST COMMENTARY AFTER THEY DO. UM THAT MATTERS THE MOST IN A CITY THAT SAYS IT VALUES DEMOCRACY, TRANSPARENCY AND
PUBLIC TRUST. A SYSTEM CAN BE LEGAL AND STILL BE OVERLY CENTRALIZED. A SYSTEM CAN ALLOW PARTICIPATION AND STILL GIVE TOO LITTLE INFLUENCE TO ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH. A SYSTEM CAN LOOK FUNCTIONAL ON PAPER WHILE PRODUCING WEAK CHECKS IN PRACTICE. THAT IS WHY MODERNIZATION HAS TO MEAN MORE THAN CLEAN UP IT HAS TO MEAN STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
IT SHOULD MEAN CLEARER LINES OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. IT SHOULD MEAN STRONGER LEGISLATIVE POWER, STRONGER OVERSIGHT AND A DIRECT REBALANCING OF AUTHORITY AWAY FROM A SYSTEM WHERE TOO MUCH
POWER REMAINS CONCENTRATED AND IT SHOULD MEAN A SERIOUS EXAMINATION WHETHER THE CURRENT STRONG MAYORAL STRUCTURE LEAVES TOO LITTLE POWER ANYWHERE ELSE TO FUNCTION AS A REAL CHECK.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE UNABLE TO ACT. I'M SAYING NO OFFICE SHOULD HOLD SO MUCH POWER, SO MUCH STRUCTURAL ADVANTAGE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY BECOMES WEAK BY
DESIGN. A CITY CHARTER SHOULD NOT MAKE COUNTERBALANCE DIFFICULT. IT SHOULD NOT MAKE OVERSIGHT SECONDARY AND IT SHOULD NOT LEAVE THE PUBLIC ENTERING THE PROCESS AFTER THE MOST
IMPORTANT DECISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHAPED. BOSTON HAS HAD A CHARTER COMMISSION IN 1947. ITS WORK LED TO THREE OPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE BEING
PUT BEFORE VOTERS IN 1949. AND I THINK THAT HISTORY MATTERS BECAUSE IT SHOWS BOSTON HAS CONFRONTED THE STRUCTURE OF CITY GOVERNMENT BEFORE AND HAS ALREADY RECOGNIZED THAT THE ORGANIZATION OF POWER IS NOT
PERMANENT, UNTOUCHABLE OR BEYOND PUBLIC RECONSIDERATION. THE QUESTION WAS PUT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE ONCE BEFORE AND THERE IS NO REASON STRUCTURAL CHANGE SHOULD BE TREATED AS OFF
LIMITS NOW. WHILE BOSTON IS APPROACHING ITS 400TH ANNIVERSARY, THAT MAKES THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO ASK A BASIC QUESTION IS THIS STRUCTURE BEING PRESERVED
BECAUSE IT STILL SERVES THE CITY WELL OR BECAUSE CONCENTRATED POWER BECOMES NORMALIZED ONCE INSTITUTIONS GET USED TO IT? A MODERN CITY SHOULD NOT RELY
ON A GOVERNING FRAMEWORK THAT IS FRAGMENTED, DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE AND OVERLY CENTERED IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. A MODERN DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE BUILT TO DISTRIBUTE POWER,
CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITY AND STRENGTHEN ACCOUNTABILITY. SO MY POINT IS STRAIGHTFORWARD BOSTON DOES NOT NEED A CHARTER THAT FUNCTIONS. BOSTON DOES NOT JUST NEED A
CHARTER FUNCTION. BOSTON NEEDS A CHARTER THAT IS STRUCTURALLY STRONGER ONE THAT CREATES A BETTER BALANCE OF POWER, ONE THAT GIVES OVERSIGHT AND ONE THAT MAKES
ACCOUNTABILITY EASIER TO ENFORCE. UM, AND ALSO ONE THAT DOES NOT CONFUSE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WITH ACTUAL PUBLIC INFLUENCE. BECAUSE IF POWER IS TO
CONCENTRATE IT, ACCOUNTABILITY WILL ALWAYS BE WEAKER THAN IT SHOULD BE. IF OVERSIGHT INCHES TOO LATE IT CANNOT FUNCTION AS A REAL CHECK. AND IF STRUCTURAL REFORM AVOIDS THE QUESTION OF POWER THEN IT
IS NOT REAL REFORM. I MEAN I THINK THAT IS THE ISSUE THIS HEARING SHOULD CONFRONT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JOHN AND TO OUR PANELISTS FOR THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE I APOLOGIZE UM THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE. COUNCILOR BREADON AND COUNCILOR WEBER HAVE JOINED THE ZERO. WE'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO QUESTIONS STARTING WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR MEJIA.
UM, WE'LL DO SIX MINUTES AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE MY CAMERA. COME ON. THAT MEANS THAT SIX MINUTES HAS, UH, JUST HAPPENED. UM. BUT. >> UH, FEEL FREE TO JUST START COUNCIL ME HERE AND THEN WE'LL GO IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL.
OKAY. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY, GREAT. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE PANELISTS AND THANK YOU, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR JOINING US IN THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, SO I WANT TO JUST KIND OF START OFF WITH RICHARD FIRST IF YOU CAN PLEASE DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR NONPROFIT AND YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT ARE SOME
OF THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A CIVIC ASSEMBLY OR OTHER TYPES OF WORKING GROUPS OUT OF A NONPROFIT INSTEAD OF WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU KNOW THESE THINGS GET A LITTLE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S FRICTION AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW KIND OF LIKE HOW YOU'VE BEEN NAVIGATING THAT. AND THEN ALSO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU THAT YOU ARE FACING IN LEXINGTON UM,
THAT LED TO THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY I KNOW FOR US HERE UH, IN BOSTON A LOT OF THAT A LOT OF THE WORK HAS BEEN ABOUT VOICE AND HOW PEOPLE PARTICIPATE. UM, AND FOLKS REALLY WANTING TO
FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A REAL MEANINGFUL SEAT AT THE TABLE NOT WITH THE CHECKING THE BOX TYPE OF SITUATION. UM, SO YOU KNOW, THIS COMING FROM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE APPETITE FROM RESIDENTS ELECT
AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT'S WHAT'S THAT BEEN LIKE, YOU KNOW? UM AND THEN I'M ASKING YOU ALL MY QUESTIONS JUST SO THAT YOU YOU KNOW, I'M. WRITING THEM DOWN. OKAY. >> GOOD JOB. UM, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW
DID YOU SECURE THE FUNDING FOR, UM, COMPENSATING THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY? UH, MEMBERS? WAS IT THROUGH CITY FUNDING? WAS IT A GREATER OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE LIKE YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO DO A CIVIC ASSEMBLY WE WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS EQUITABLE. WE OFTEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK ON THE GROUND ARE USUALLY THE ONES THAT ARE NOT GETTING PAID TO DO THE WORK AND THEN THE BIG TIME
CONSULTANTS AND THE HARVARDS YOU KNOW, LAW FOLKS ARE MAKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OFF OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT THE REAL STAKEHOLDERS, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVEN GET A SMALL STIPEND
FOR SHOWING UP, YOU KNOW. SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF LIKE HOW YOU ALL ARE GRAPPLING WITH THAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN UM YEAH AND I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BUT LET ME JUST START OFF WITH
YOU BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR TIME IS LIMITED. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM YEAH. SO I WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE ORDER THAT YOU ASKED. UM, SO UH, WE HAVE A WE HAVE A, UM I THINK AN INTERESTING AND COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM, WE, UH, BOTH PARTNER WITH THEM ON PROJECTS TO REIMAGINE HOW PUBLIC, UM, DECISIONS GET MADE. SO WE'VE WORKED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON, UH, REFORMING
THE STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THE PROCESS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THOSE MEETINGS. WE'VE DONE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS OF OUR CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM ON REIMAGINING THE PROCESS OF UH, UH, LONG TERM LAND USE PLANNING . UM, SO WE HAVE A WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY OVER OUR NINE YEARS OF UM OF PARTNERING WITH
GOVERNMENT, UM, TO UH, CONSIDER NEW FORMS OF DECISION MAKING. UH, ALSO. WE ALSO ARE A NEWS ORGANIZATION AND REPORT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT . SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP. UM, I THINK IT WAS ESSENTIAL
FOR US TO DO IT OUTSIDE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS IS THAT IF IT HAD BEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ITSELF, UM, RUNNING EVERY ASPECT OF THE ASSEMBLY, UH, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE SUSPICIOUS. UM, I DON'T THINK THAT PRECLUDES A GOVERNMENT FROM DOING IT ITSELF. I THINK THAT ABSOLUTELY CAN HAPPEN BUT I THINK IT'S JUST AN
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION UM, THAT THAT UM THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE FORMULA OF DECISION MAKING. UM, UH I THINK THAT THERE WERE ALSO A WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE UM,
EVEN THOUGH THIS PROCESS TOOK ABOUT THREE YEARS UM, FROM SORT OF INITIAL PLANNING THROUGH EXECUTION AND WE'LL PROBABLY GO FOR ANOTHER YEAR. UM, UH, THE FOR NOW, UM, WE
WERE ABLE TO MOVE I THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE QUICKLY THAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT UM WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UM. AND I THINK WE ARE ABLE TO UH WE JUST HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE FREEDOM TO LIKE ENGAGE WITH
NATIONAL EXPERTS AND IT JUST I THINK IT JUST WAS A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR US TO DO THAT. UM, IN TERMS OF THE ISSUES THAT WE, UM, ARE ENCOUNTERING IN LEXINGTON, IT'S ALL IT'S ALL THE SAME THING THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL ARE GRAPPLING
WITH. UM HOW DO HOW DO EVERYDAY RESIDENTS, UM, HAVE A MEANINGFUL SAY IN THE DECISIONS THAT SHAPE THE COMMUNITY? RIGHT. UM, I THINK A SUSPICION
OF GOVERNMENT UM, I THINK UH, FRUSTRATION UH, WITH TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT DECISION MAKING PROCESSES. UM, I MEAN ALL OF THOSE THINGS I THINK ARE VERY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE
EXPERIENCING HERE IN LEXINGTON. UM, AND I'LL SAY I'VE SAID THIS UH, TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER THE PAST UM, UH COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT THAT THIS ROOM THAT WHEN YOU WHEN YOU RANDOMLY SELECT
PEOPLE UM AND IT WAS. TRULY TRULY. RANDOM UM IT UH I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH. THESE WERE TWO RANDOM RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES APARTMENTS, HOMES, RANDOM
PEOPLE APPLIED THEN RANDOM PEOPLE UM, UH, WERE BUILT INTO THESE PANELS AND THEN WE RANDOMLY SELECTED PANEL. IT WAS LIKE TRIPLE RANDOMIZATION. UM YOU GET PEOPLE THAT DON'T TRADITIONALLY PARTICIPATE RIGHT?
I THINK WE ALL KNOW LIKE THE TYPICAL PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP TO COVER GOVERNMENT MEETINGS AND WE LOVE THEM. THEY'RE GREAT. IT'S GOOD FOR THEM TO SHOW UP BUT WE REALLY NEED TO BROADEN WHO PARTICIPATES AND THIS
REALLY DID THAT AND AND THE THING THAT WAS LIKE I THINK SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT IS IT WAS THE LEAST CYNICAL ROOM I'VE BEEN IN IN A REALLY LONG TIME. UM, PEOPLE WERE GENUINELY
ENTHUSIASTIC TO PARTICIPATE. PEOPLE WERE EXCITED TO SHOW UP. THEY DIDN'T THEY MIGHT HAVE FRUSTRATIONS WITH GOVERNMENT FRUSTRATIONS WITH HOW DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PAST BUT THEY DIDN'T.
MOST OF THEM DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF SHOWING UP TO PUBLIC MEETINGS UM, TO SORT OF UH TO JADE THEM UH, IN A WAY. UM IN IN ADVANCE.
UM AND SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TRADED THAT FOR THE WORLD. IT WAS IT WAS INCREDIBLE. UM IT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE BEING IN A ROOM FILLED WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE AGAIN EXACTLY DEMOGRAPHICALLY
REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND UH, PEOPLE THAT DON'T THAT HAVE NEVER PARTICIPATED IN DECISION MAKING LIKE THIS. UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE FUNDING ON THE PLUS ON YOUR LAST QUESTION ON FUNDING.
UM, IT TOOK US ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO RAISE THE FUNDS FROM LOCAL DONORS, UM MEMBERS, UH, GRANTS TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. WE DID OUR ASSEMBLY FOR A VERY
,VERY LOW COST FAR LOWER, UM, THAN MOST OTHER ASSEMBLIES. UH, COST OURS WAS OUR BUDGET WAS AROUND 225,000. I THINK IN UM UH I THINK MOST
ASSEMBLIES ARE CLOSER TO HALF $1 MILLION IF NOT HIGHER. UM, I WISH WE'D HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE WORKED WITH. UM, BUT UH, THE THE EXPENSIVE
PART OF THE ASSEMBLY IS THE STAFF TIME. UM, IT IS REALLY ALL OF THE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO THIS. IT IS UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE APPROPRIATELY CARING FOR AND SUPPORTING OUR ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE TIME AND ENERGY TO DO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THEY NEED TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE DECISION AND AN INFORMED DECISION. UM, SO THAT WAS UH THAT WAS THE
MOST TIME UH, MONEY INTENSIVE PART OF IT. UM BUT WE ALSO SPENT, YOU KNOW, ALMOST $70,000 DIRECTLY ON OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. UM, ALL OF THEM, LIKE I SAID, RECEIVED A THOUSAND $200
STIPEND, UM, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. UM, FOR ABOUT THAT 35 HOURS WORTH OF WORK. UM, THEY ALL RECEIVED, UM, THAT ,UH, TRANSPORTATION STIPENDS IF THEY IF THEY NEEDED ONE.
UM, MANY OF THEM USED THAT FOR BUS FARE. SOME OF THAT USED THAT FOR CAR RENTALS. SOME OF SOME FOLKS DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY TO CALL A CAR RENTAL AND WEREN'T ON A BUS ROUTE, SO WE ACTUALLY RESERVED A TAXI SERVICE FOR THEM.
UM, THEY HAD CHILDCARE STIPENDS IF THEY NEEDED IT AND OF COURSE WE FED EVERYONE MANY, MANY MEALS. UM, ACROSS OUR ASSEMBLY. UH, YEAH. THANK YOU. AND I SEE THE THE CHAIR HAS COME BACK ON SCREEN AND I DON'T
KNOW IF I HAVE TWO MORE MINUTES. OH THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO, UH, MY LAST TWO MINUTES. UH, ONE IS FOR YODA. I HOPE I SAID IT RIGHT AND I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO CORRECT ME.
UM, BUT AND I APOLOGIZE. IN LOS ANGELES, THE CHARTER REFORM COMMISSION ISSUED A FORMAL LETTER ENDORSING REWRITE. UM, AN ORGANIZATION SIMILAR TO UH CIVIC LACKS ROLE IN UM
LEXINGTON EFFORTS TO HELP EXPAND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND COMMITTING TO UH CONSIDERING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY BRING FORWARD. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT?
AND FOR JOHN, MY LAST QUESTION AND THEN I'LL COME BACK FOR MY SECOND ROUND. UH, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO ANSWER THOSE PLEASE. UM, WHAT BARRIERS EXIST FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN CITY GOVERNMENT AS IT STANDS NOW AND
HOW CAN WE DO BETTER? WHAT PROCESSES AND NORMS NEED TO BE CHANGED? SO THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR THE LAST TWO MINUTES THAT I HAVE. OKAY. UM THANK YOU. IT IS ILANA. UM.
YOU KNOW SPELLING IS NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. UM, YEAH. I MEAN I THINK THE A LOT OF THE HOW I WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID RIGHT. LIKE I THINK THAT HAVING A
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN THE. YOU KNOW, IN. ROOMS WITH PEOPLE AND MAKING SORT OF DELIBERATIONS WITH FOLKS THAT THEY MAY NEVER NOT USUALLY BE IN THE SAME ROOM AS
UM JUST DOES A LOT FOR OUR CIVIC STRENGTH AS A COMMUNITY. I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY AS WE'VE MENTIONED BUT I THINK THAT IT DOES HELP TO SORT OF RESTORE TRUST IN PROCESS. UM, I THINK PEOPLE WHETHER AT A
LOCAL OR NATIONAL LEVEL AT THIS POINT HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME SKEPTICISM ON HOW MUCH THEIR ACTUAL VOICE COUNTS AND HAVING A GOVERNING BODY INSTITUTE OR
YOU KNOW, BE ENGAGED AND BOUGHT INTO A PROCESS LIKE THIS REALLY SORT OF TURNS THE POWER BACK OVER TO THE PEOPLE. I'LL KEEP MY ANSWER SHORT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOMEONE THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. UM I THINK SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY HAS BEEN ACCESSIBILITY AND THEN POWER. UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE
THE CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS, THEY'RE SCHEDULED 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON OR 10:00 IN THE MORNING USUALLY, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS ARE AT WORK. UM, AND CAN'T MAKE IT. THEY'RE DEALING WITH FAMILIES,
DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS. IT'S JUST NOT ACCESSIBLE. UM, I MAKE IT TO SOME OF THE HEARINGS AND SOMETIMES I'M THE ONLY PERSON THERE. OR MAYBE IT'S LIKE 2 OR 3 OTHER RESIDENTS. UM, AND THEN IT'S SO MUCH
THINGS GET DECIDED IN THOSE ROOMS AND IT'S NOT ANY LIKE REAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. BUT EVEN WITH THAT, UM, I THINK
POWER IS STILL A MAJOR BARRIER BECAUSE IF WE DO SHOW UP THERE'S NO SAY THAT OUR VOICE IS GOING TO SHAPE ANYTHING. UM, THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS
THAT OUR CITY COUNCILORS HAVE TO VOTE WITH YOU KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE IN OR YOU KNOW OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. IT'S NOTHING TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR HAS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION RESIDENTS
VOICES. AND SO YES, ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS. BUT ONCE WE ARE THERE, UM, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE LIKE OUR VOICE ACTUALLY LIKE MEANS
SOMETHING AND IT IS NOT JUST A PERFORMATIVE SHOW. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'LL WAIT FOR MY NEXT ROUND. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
UM, JUST FIGHTING FOR CENTRAL STAFF COUNCILOR CULPEPER IS HERE. I THINK HE MAY BE IN THE ATTENDEES LIST UNDER THE IPAD
DESIGNATIONS. JUST FLAGGING THAT. UM, NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN.
YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. IS IT MY INTERNET BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. UH, NO.
UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN, ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS? HE IS ON, BUT I DON'T UM HE'S NOT PUTTING HIS MIKE ON OUR OUR
VIDEO, SO WE'LL GO TO THE, UH THE PERSON WHO CAME IN NEXT AND I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, UM, COUNCIL. LET'S SEE HERE. COUNCILOR, UH, COUNCILOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT
BRAINARD, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO COUNCIL WITH ONE. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THANK YOU. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION ABOUT, UH, CIVIC
ASSEMBLIES. I AM A BIG FAN. UH, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE CIVIC. ASSEMBLY PROCESS. IN IRELAND WHERE THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS USED CIVIC ASSEMBLIES TO UM.
UH, PUT. FORWARD UH, REFERENDA QUESTIONS ON BIG BIG BIG BIG ISSUES. THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME BEING UH SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WHICH THEY HAD UH CIVIC ASSEMBLY FOR THE
WHOLE COUNTRY AND THEN THEY PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND IT PASSED BY 73% OF THE POPULATION VOTED IN SUPPORT OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN IRELAND. UH, THE OTHER ISSUES THAT THEY
GRAPPLED WITH IN THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY WERE ABORTION AND DIVORCE I THINK SO UM, UH, I'M A BIG FAN UH, AND I'M INTERESTED TO SEE HOW IT WORKED
LOCALLY. UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK UM I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE, UH, IF YOU. >> COULD SORT OF. UM, GO OVER AGAIN THIS ELECTION
HOW DO THE PEOPLE THE SELECTION OF YOUR YOUR MEMBERS I KNOW IT'S TOTALLY RANDOM BUT TO PEOPLE VOLUNTEER TO PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD OR DO YOU JUST RANDOMLY SELECT FROM THE POPULATION AND THEN UH, IF
SOMEONE'S SELECTED THE OUTCOME THEN DO THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE? UH AND THEN JUST IN TERMS OF UM HOW YOU ENDED UP WITH THE
QUESTIONS LIKE UM UH ONCE I WAS ON A RANGE OF QUESTIONS WHO GENERATED THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY? THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAD AT THE MOMENT.
GREAT. >> YEAH. SO I'LL START WITH THE SELECTION PROCESS. UM, SO WE DECIDED AGAINST ALLOWING UM OPEN UM APPLICATION PROCESS AND WE REQUIRED IT
BASED ON UM RANDOMLY SELECTED RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES. SO WE GOT A LIST OF EVERY SINGLE RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS IN FAYETTE COUNTY, UM, FROM OUR PROPERTY VALUATION ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, AND THEN WE USED A SCRIPT BASICALLY UM, TO RANDOMLY SELECT 10,000 OF THOSE UM AND THOSE ARE THE ADDRESSES UM, WHERE WE SENT THESE POSTCARDS UM, THAT HAD UH ESSENTIALLY WAS
THE INVITATION TO APPLY EVERYONE IN THE HOUSEHOLD THAT RECEIVED UM THE POSTCARD COULD COULD APPLY UM, IF YOU WERE OVER THE AGE OF 18, I'LL SAY WE DID USE A DIFFERENT SELECTION
PROCESS TO PICK ONE UM, YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE ON COUNCIL UM, UNDER THE AGE OF 18. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO GO INTO THAT PROCESS IF YOU WOULD LIKE BUT UM BUT 35 OF THE MEMBERS WERE SELECTED USING THIS RANDOM
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS POPULATION . SO WHEN SOMEONE GOT THE POSTCARD THEY WOULD APPLY UM UH USING UH A QR CODE OR UM SOME UH WE WOULD BRING THEM A PAPER
COPY IF THEY CALLED A AND WE COULD ALSO TAKE APPLICATIONS OVER THE PHONE. UM, AND UH AND THAT GAVE US A THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. WE ANONYMIZED THAT DEMOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION WITH AN INDIVIDUAL CODE FOR EACH PERSON AND THEN USE THAT TO BUILD OUR REPRESENTATIVE PANELS. UM, UH, I'LL SAY THAT THAT WHEN SOMEONE APPLIED THEY HAD TO
PROVIDE THEIR ADDRESS SO THAT WE COULD VERIFY, UH, THAT THEY RECEIVED A POSTCARD. AND THE. MAIN REASON FOR THAT WAS TO TRY AND LIMIT, UM, THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT HAD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF IT JUST BASICALLY A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TRULY REACHING RANDOM PEOPLE AND WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK IF THEY COULD
APPLY UM, IF EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T GET A POSTCARD UM, WE SADLY HAD TO SAY NO BUT YOU CAN VOLUNTEER UM, TO. >> HELP. US IF YOU. >> WOULD LIKE. UM SO UH THE SELECTION PROCESS WENT PRETTY SMOOTHLY.
UM, WE HAD A, UH A GOOD RESPONSE RATE ON OUR POSTCARDS ,UM, AND WE, UM WE FELT REALLY GREAT ABOUT OUR PANEL. UM, AND IN TERMS OF HOW WE HOW DO WE GENERATE QUESTIONS?
SO WE UM WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON UM FOR THE MOST PART A SINGLE ARTICLE INSIDE OUR OUR OUR CHARTER FOR THIS REVIEW AND THAT WAS THE ARTICLE FOCUSED ON THE URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL. UM AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.
THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME OUT OF THE GATE DOING THIS AND UM UH, NO BETTER WAY OF SAYING THIS. WE WANTED TO SORT OF LIMIT THE POTENTIAL DAMAGE THAT COULD BE. DONE UM. FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS
TO THE COUNCIL SINCE THEY WERE THE UM THE BODY THAT APPROACHED US ABOUT DOING THIS. UM, AND SO, UH, WE REALLY WERE IT WAS REALLY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND
REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT, UM, VIA THE LEGISLATIVE BODY. UM, SO WE WE HAD EIGHT POTENTIAL TOPICS. UM, AND WE USE THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT REACHED THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS UM, TO
TO NARROW THAT DOWN TO OUR TWO FINAL TOPICS. UM AND THEN WE WROTE THE MANDATES FOR THE ASSEMBLY BASED ON THOSE TWO. TOPICS UM IN CONSULTATION WITH AN ADVISORY GROUP OF RESIDENTS
AND EXPERTS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THAT HELPED US ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS. I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE.
UM, YES. UM, SO IN TERMS OF EDUCATING, YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THE BALLOT THIS THIS THIS FALL WITH THE WITH THESE MET WITH
ITS CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER OR YOUR CHARTER. UM DO IN THAT PROCESS YOU KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO WATCH IT LIKE ON ON YOUTUBE OR WHATEVER AND WATCH THE
DELIBERATIONS AND HEAR THE CONVERSATION ALL THE PROS AND CONS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AS A WAY TO EDUCATE THE POPULACE. UM, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE CHECKED INTO THAT PROCESS OR WAS IT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST A GROUP
OF 36 PEOPLE TALKING TO THEMSELVES IN A ROOM ALL ON THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW? YEAH, SOMETIMES IT WAS A GROUP OF 36 PEOPLE TALK TO THEMSELVES A LIVING ROOM. UM, SO WE. HAD UH BUT NO ALL OF OUR SESSIONS, UM, WERE OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC. WE BEGAN MOST SESSIONS WITH ABOUT AN HOUR OF CLOSED SESSION . UM, THAT UH, WAS REALLY DESIGNED FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING PURPOSES. UM, RIGHT.
GIVING THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS A SPACE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN AND VULNERABLE WITH EACH OTHER. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE. NOT USED TO BEING ON TELEVISION. THEY'RE NOT USED TO HAVING ALL OF THE PUBLIC EYES ON THEM.
AND SO WE WANTED TO TRY AND STRIKE A CAREFUL BALANCE BETWEEN GIVING THEM THE SPACE. TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING OPEN AND TRANSPARENT. SO MOST. >> OF.
THE SESSIONS UM, WE HAD ABOUT A UH AN HOUR THAT WAS CLOSED UM, AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE SESSION UM FOR THE LARGER SESSIONS WAS ABOUT FIVE HOURS OF OF OPEN UM SO WE HAD
NEWS MEDIA THERE FILMING WE UM EVERY SINGLE SESSION WAS STREAMED LIVE ON ON GOVERNMENT TELEVISION. WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE GOVERNMENT UM HERE FOR UM FOR PROVIDING THAT SERVICE. IT WAS IT WAS AN ENORMOUS TO
HAVE THAT UM UM NOT JUST THAT UH. THAT ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH LIVE BUT THAT PERMANENT. RECORD OF. EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID BEING ARCHIVED FOREVER IN UM IN AND
ON GOVERNMENT TELEVISION. UM AND YEAH, WE HAD WE HAD TONS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY SHOW UP. UM WE ALSO HAD A PUBLIC INPUT SESSION. UM, SO WE HAD YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS
COME TO THAT AND SPEAK. WE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING TO WATCH. UM, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE UH, TALKING TO US ABOUT WATCHING IT ON ON TV UM AND WATCHING IT ON
THE NEWS HERE. SO UM WE ALSO RELEASED UPDATES AFTER EVERY SINGLE SESSION TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHAT DELIBERATIONS WERE MADE AND. SORT OF WHAT DIRECTION PEOPLE WERE GOING.
AND IN TERMS OF WERE THERE ANY SURPRISES IN TERMS OF YOUR YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE. THOUGHT SO STRONGLY ABOUT OR WERE THERE ANY SORT OF THINGS THAT SURPRISED YOU IN THE PROCESS OR ANY TAKEAWAYS FROM
THAT? I'M SURE THERE'S A FEW LEARNING POINTS. >> YEAH. A LOT OF SURPRISES. UM, WELL I THINK THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IS THAT WE EXPECTED THEM TO PUT OUT TWO. RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEY PUT OUT THREE. UM THAT THAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE.
UM. YOU KNOW. HONESTLY I THINK. THE THING THAT WAS THE MOST. BEYOND THAT. >> THE THING THAT WAS THE MOST. >> SURPRISING TO ME IS I THINK YOU KNOW. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF. >> PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON AN
ANNUAL I MEAN ANNUALLY WE REACHED, YOU KNOW, 30 40,000 RESIDENTS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE REACH A. >> LOT. OF PEOPLE, UM, WE HOST OVER 150 EVENTS EVERY YEAR. WE DO. A WE'RE WE'RE ON THE GROUND A LOT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
UM. >> THE THING THAT WAS. MOST SURPRISING TO ME ABOUT THIS WAS THE GENUINE JOY AND ENTHUSIASM. THAT THESE FOLKS HAD FOR SIMPLY
GETTING THE INVITATION. YEAH, RIGHT. AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES UH, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATE. ARE THE FOLKS THAT. TYPICALLY SHOW UP RIGHT? THEY HAVE A STAKE. >> IN THE OUTCOME OR.
IT'S PART OF THEIR. PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION. >> TO BE THERE OR UM. >> THEY HAVE UH UM, YOU. >> KNOW. THEY'RE THEY'RE SOMEONE WHO. HAS THE TIME. >> AND. RESOURCES TO. PARTICIPATE AND ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
THE ASSEMBLY REALLY LEVEL THE. PLAYING FIELD, UM. AND BROUGHT. >> OUT PEOPLE THAT WOULD NOT TYPICALLY PARTICIPATE. AND I FOUND THAT THEY HAD FAR MORE JOY, UM, IN THEIR PARTICIPATION. >> AND ENTHUSIASM.
ABOUT IT THAN THE TYPICAL PERSON THAT WE'VE ENGAGED IN THE PAST. >> AND AND THAT'S NOT. >> TO. DISPARAGE ANYONE. I THINK. IT'S JUST TO SAY THAT, UM, THAT . WATCHING A ROOM OF PEOPLE. THAT ARE BUILT TO DISAGREE
WITH. >> EACH. OTHER DO SO WITH JOY, UM. AND HAPPINESS. YEAH. >> IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR MODERN TIMES QUITE A BALL. UM YEAH YEAH. YEAH IT THOSE WONDERFUL GOOD.
WELL, UM. THANK YOU. UH, I'M INSPIRED TO THINK ABOUT DOING THIS MORE LOCALLY AS WELL ,BUT, UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I SAW THE QUESTIONS I HAD FOR NOW. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR BURTON.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK TO COUNCILOR FLYNN IF HE'S AVAILABLE. OKAY. AND THEN ALSO FLYING INTO COUNCILOR CULPEPER. I BELIEVE THAT CENTRAL STAFF IS
TRYING TO, UH, INVITE YOU TO BE A PANELIST. SO IF YOU JUST WANT TO CLICK YES ON THAT, UM, OKAY, WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR WEBER. WELL.
>> UH THANK. >> YOU CHAIR. I GUESS UH, IN TERMS OF THE CITY CHARTER, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE LIKE SO I I'M.
I'M JUST THINKING BACK TO. UH WHEN I. STARTED WORKING. >> AS A LAWYER I REPRESENTED MIGRANT FARMWORKERS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM I I FOCUSED ON. COTTON GIN WORKERS.
WHO ARE EXEMPTED FROM OVERTIME PAY IN THE 1938 FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND. UH. >> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS LIKE AN ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT.
IT TURNED OUT IT WAS YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST PART OF UM, UH, FDR TO GET THE NEW DEAL LEGISLATION FOR MINIMUM WAGE AND OVER TIME PASS MADE A DEAL WITH SOUTHERN
DEMOCRATS THAT BASICALLY EXCLUDE UH, BLACK LABORERS FROM MINIMUM WAGE AND OVERTIME REQUIREMENTS. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT WAS TO BE EXCLUDING FARMWORKERS AND DOMESTIC WORKERS, UH, FROM THESE RULES. SO I GUESS.
>> IN TERMS OF WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR. CITY CHARTER, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE THINGS THAT HAVE JUST SORT OF WE FEEL LIKE ARE BAKED IN UH, AND I I KNOW JOHN YOU
TALKED ABOUT JUST GENERALLY YOU KNOW, HOW WE HAVE THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE. >> BUT YOU KNOW SO. I HEARD YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CITY. CHARTER THAT REALLY YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE SORT OF WE JUST
THINK IS THERE FOR THAT. >> MUST HAVE BEEN A GOOD. REASON FOR THAT 1910 OR SOMETHING. BUT UM, YOU KNOW THAT THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
IT MAYBE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW ANYTHING IN LEXINGTON. UH. >> CRIED OUT FOR REFORMS. >> I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO LEXINGTON VERY BRIEFLY. UM, I THINK UH. THERE THERE ARE SO MANY THING
THERE. >> ARE. SO MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO. >> BE UPDATED IN THE CHARTER. UM, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT UM ARE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS I MEAN JUST HEARING SORT OF COLLOQUIALLY THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THROUGH TESTIMONY THAT WE HEARD FROM PUBLIC.
OFFICIALS HERE. UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS VOTED BY AN 88.8% SUPERMAJORITY TO CREATE A STANDING CHARTER REVIEW. PROCESS. >> UM, THAT REQUIRES THE CHARTER TO REVIEWED. >> EVERY EIGHT YEARS.
UM, UH I MEAN IT'S FROM VERY SMALL THINGS, RIGHT? LIKE UM EVERY ONE AND LIKE EVERY USE OF UM EVERYONE IN THE CHARTER IS REFERRED TO AS A
HEAT. UM AND THERE ARE OF. COURSE PEOPLE THAT REFER TO THEMSELVES DIFFERENTLY IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UM. AND UH. >> YOU KNOW, FROM THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, TO. YOU KNOW. >> MAJOR STRUCTURAL.
ISSUES UM, THAT THAT THAT. NEED TO. >> BE UPDATED. UM, SO YOU KNOW, UH, THERE ARE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED, UM, AND AND POTENTIALLY UM, ALTERED
UH, MOVING FORWARD. AND SO THAT IS. >> THE. REASON THAT THEY CREATED THAT. STRUCTURAL REVIEW PROCESS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I CAN SPEAK TO JUST ONE SPECIFIC
THING THAT MIGHT BE OUTDATED. OR NOT RELEVANT. UM, FOR ME IT'S JUST LIKE THE OVERALL UM WAY WHERE POWER IS CONCENTRATED.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE REALLY EVALUATED AND LOOKED AT UM SO YEAH. AND I CAN JUST QUICKLY JUMP IN AS WELL. I KNOW WHEN WE HAD OUR NATIONAL
CONVERSATION WITH UM, COUNCILOR MEJIA, UH, SHE MENTIONED YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE LIKE LAWS THAT AREN'T BEING USED OR FINES THAT ARE. EITHER TOO. >> LOW OR ARE NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED AND AND SO I DIDN'T
GET INTO SPECIFICS THERE BUT I DID LIKE GOOGLE BOSTON CITY CHARTER AS A CITIZEN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT LIKE OH LIKE YOU KNOW JUST TO TRY TO EDUCATE MYSELF AND I THINK THE UH THE
FACT THAT IT IS A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS THAT ARE UM CHALLENGING TO FIND AND PUT TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE TO ME THAT SPEAKS TO SOMETHING THAT IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST A DOCUMENT THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO A
CITIZEN. OKAY. >> AND THEN UH, CAN YOU JUST UH. PROVIDE I APOLOGIZE IN JUST THE BEGINNING IN TERMS. OF THE PROCESS. FOR AMENDING I MEAN, WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
YOU KNOW. >> IS IT DIFFERENT HERE THAN IN LEXINGTON? DOES IT HAVE TO BE DOES IT JUST GET PUT UP FOR A VOTE FOR THE CITY DUTY? YEAH.
HOW DOES IT WORK? UM, I THINK LIKE IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE STRUCTURAL CHANGE THEN IT WOULD BE UH, A CHARTER COMMISSION.
UM, AND THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE BASICALLY LIKE NINE PEOPLE WOULD, YOU KNOW, GO UP FOR ELECTION LIKE THE PEOPLE WOULD VOTE ON AND WE WOULD DID SELECT NINE PEOPLE TO BE ON THE
CHARTER COMMISSION. UM AND THEN THE CHARTER COMMISSION WOULD HAVE I THINK IT'S TEN MONTHS TO COME UP WITH A REFORMED CHARTER AND THEY WOULD PUT THAT IN FRONT OF THE
PEOPLE, UM, TO VOTE ON. OKAY. >> IN LEXINGTON THERE UM THERE ARE TWO PATHS TO THE BALLOT. UM, OUR CITY CAN. REALLY DO. >> ANYTHING WITH UM TO TO DO A CHARTER REVIEW WHICH IS HOW WE WERE APPROACHED TO TO REVIEW
THE CHARTER. UM, THERE IS ALSO A CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION PROCESS IN THERE BUT THE CITY DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO FOLLOW IT. UM, THE UH THE TWO PROCESSES ARE TWO PATHS TO TO ABOUT ANY
CHARTER CHANGE HAS TO BE AMENDED AND PUT ON THE PUBLIC BALLOT. UM COUNCIL CAN EITHER VOTE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT OR THAT CAN BE A PUBLIC PETITION. >> OF 15%. UM OF THE VOTERS IN THE PAST MAYORAL ELECTION.
OKAY. >> UH OKAY. WELL I THINK I'M. SORRY. I JUST DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION. MORE QUESTIONS. CHAIR I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK TO YOU, OKAY? YOU'RE, UH YOU'RE RELINQUISHING
YOUR TIME. YES, I. >> GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING. OKAY. >> YEAH. NO WORRIES. UM, SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY THREE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WAS, UH, TALKED ABOUT TO AMEND THIS, UM ,THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM,
A BINDING BALLOT QUESTION. THERE'S A CHARTER COMMISSION, THERE'S THAT AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER WAY. UM, SO I JUST I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THERE ARE THREE
SEPARATE WAYS BUT HAPPY TO SEND MORE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT. UM, BASED ON THIS PRESENTATION. YEAH. >> THANKS. YEAH. >> UM, OKAY. WE COUNCILOR CULPEPPER, IS HE IN?
ON A PETITION IS THE THIRD ONE. SORRY. THANKS TO TIM, I DON'T SEE COUNCILOR CULPEPPER. SO WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO COUNCILOR MEJIA, UM, FOR HER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. YEAH. >> THANK YOU.
AND JUST TO, UH. FOR COUNCILOR UH, WEBBER'S QUESTION IN MY OPENING REMARKS I LAID OUT THE VARIOUS. PATHWAYS. >> UM, WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE SCAFFOLDING SO YOU CAN HAVE. SOMEBODY FROM YOUR TEAM KIND. >> OF.
JUST SYNTHESIZE THOSE NOTES. UM, SO THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL. UM, ALL RIGHT, SO I. >> AM CURIOUS. UM. >> FOR WITH. BOTH, UH, CIVIC TEXTS AND WE WRITE ELA UM, THEY'RE.
USING CIVIC. ASSEMBLIES IN THEIR PROCESSES WHERE. RESIDENTS ARE CHOSEN. RANDOMLY IN ORDER TO HAVE REPRESENT TASTE AND UM, SAMPLE THEIR CITY. WHY ARE CIVIC ASSEMBLIES BEING CHOSEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
COULD A CIVIC ASSEMBLY WORK HERE IN BOSTON AND IF SO, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT? AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS I. UM I'M MORE OF A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER. I'M NOT A LAWYER. I AM NOT A POLICY WONK.
I AM JUST SOMEBODY WHO GREW UP IN THE CITY OF BOSTON JUST NOT HAPPY WITH ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, HERE. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M ON THE INSIDE NOW TRYING TO FIX THINGS SO THAT, UM, WE CAN HAVE MORE
ENGAGEMENT. AND OFTENTIMES WHAT I SEE IS THAT ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE JUST FRUSTRATED. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I. WAS SO SUPER EXCITED UM, TO TO
EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE CAN WE BUILD TRUST AND. CREATE AS MANY PATHWAYS FOR US TO HAVE BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO THAT'S WHY. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED. ABOUT EXPLORING THIS AS A.
TOOL AND A TACTIC. UM, FOR UH RESTORATION OF TRUST IN GOVERNMENT. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD HOW. >> WOULD. A CIVIC ASSEMBLY WORK. HERE IN BOSTON.
AND HOW DO WE GIVE PEOPLE THE POWER IN. >> THAT PROCESS? I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS. SO WHOEVER WANTS TO ANSWER UH, WHAT DOES GOOD GOVERNANCE AND GOOD GOVERNMENT LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
UM, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT OH, EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE AND AND THEN PEOPLE COME IN AND TELL US WHAT THEY WANT AND THEN WHEN WE DON'T EXECUTE AGAINST THOSE DELIVERABLES. SO IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT GOOD GOVERNANCE LOOKS LIKE I
WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND WHAT ARE MAJOR ISSUES WE'RE FACING IN BOSTON'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED LIKE YOU KNOW, UH MAYBE RICHARD, YOU MAY NOT KNOW
TOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT LIVING IN BOSTON BUT I'M SURE YOU TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD SOME THINGS ABOUT US. SO BOSTON POLITICS ARE A AN APPETITE HERE. SO I'M. >> JUST.
CURIOUS, YOU KNOW WHAT STRUCTURES, NORMS AND PROCESSES DO WE FACE SO THAT YOU BELIEVE WE FACE THAT UM WE SHOULD CONSIDER CHANGING AND THE BIG
QUESTION HERE THE FINAL BONUS ROUND QUESTION IS HOW DO WE RESTORE TRUST IN OUR CITY'S GOVERNANCE? SO I ASKED A LOT I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST OR WHAT
ORDER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THEM ALL BUT I ASK ENOUGH QUESTIONS TO ALLOW FOR OUR PANELISTS TO TAKE THE ONES THAT THEY FEEL MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT UM, AND
AND DIVE RIGHT INTO THOSE. OVERALL AND GUIDE THEM. OKAY. GO. ALANA. OH, SORRY. UM, I CAN JUST JUMP IN QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, I THINK IN TERMS OF HOW THIS COULD WORK IN
BOSTON THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT IT CAN WORK. BUT LIKE AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS BRINGING TOGETHER EVERYDAY BOSTONIANS TO GRAPPLE WITH ISSUES ON A REGULAR BASIS ,WE HAVE A LIFETIME COMMUNITY
,UM, AN ACTIVE LIFETIME COMMUNITY OF 450 MEMBERS IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA. I KNOW THAT SMALL COMPARED TO THE SCALE THAT WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF SOME OF THIS PARTICIPATION UM. BUT JUST. >> WANTED TO ECHO LIKE WHAT
I'VE SEEN AND HEARD FIRSTHAND WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY UM, ECHOES A LOT OF WHAT RICHARD SHARED EARLIER, WHICH IS JUST THAT PEOPLE ARE
EXCITED. TO LEARN A PATHWAY TO EVEN FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE. UM, WHETHER THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRIED TO HAVE A VOICE BEFORE AND FAILED OR FOLKS THAT
HADN'T REALLY BEEN ACTIVATED AT ANY POINT UP UNTIL THIS POINT OR NOT AND NOT REALLY TRIED. UM, I THINK THAT BOSTON IS A IS SUCH A GREAT CITY WITH SO MANY
LIKE DRIVEN SMART, CRAZY CRAZILY YOU KNOW, UM ENGAGED FOLKS IN A LOT OF WAYS BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ENGAGED AND I THINK THAT THIS PROCESS IF WE WERE TO MOVE INTO A SORT
OF CIVIC ASSEMBLY PROCESS, BOSTON WOULD BE A GREAT SPACE FOR THAT. UM, BECAUSE WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHERE WE LIVE AND I THINK THAT BRINGING IN.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO UM, HAVE EVERYDAY RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BUILD TRUST, BUILD THAT COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE AND REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE SOME POWER TO DRIVE CHANGE I THINK WOULD
HAVE IMPACTS FAR AND BEYOND JUST THE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT WE WOULD MENTION. UM, I DON'T KNOW, UH, MODERNIZATION OF THE CHARTER.
THANK YOU. WE'RE DEFINITELY UM UH POLITICS IS A SPORT HERE AND. AND WE'RE. >> FANATICS WHEN IT COMES TO TO. >> THAT. AND YOU KNOW. >> TO YOUR POINT OF THERE. ARE SOME FOLKS. >> WHO DON'T. FEEL HEARD OR NOT A CIVICALLY.
ENGAGED THAT IS A REAL CONCERN . UM. OUR OFFICE WORKS ON PUTTING TOGETHER A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE SPECIFICALLY. FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. SO THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL. MEETINGS WERE ABOUT, WHAT CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS DO BECAUSE. THEY MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT IMPACT EVERYONE SO THAT WE CAN. MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS WHO ARE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. BUT THEY LIVE IN THE.
THEY LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY PAY TAXES. THEY ARE PART OF THAT CIVIC LIFE. >> BUT. THEY HAD. NO VOICE AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO EXPLORE WAYS TO DO THAT. AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP. WITH WITH JOHN REGARDING.
THIS POWER. HOW DO. >> WE. SHARE POWER UM WITH WITH THIS WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING LIKE CIVIC ASSEMBLIES OR A CHARTER COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, HOW DO. >> YOU SEE. THAT AS. A WAY TO ACTIVATE. >> PEOPLE.
WHO WHO. DON'T FEEL HEARD OR WHO. WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ENGAGED. UM, IN THE PROCESS KIND OF LIKE AS A AS A. AS A WAY TO REENGAGE COMMUNITIES. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS KIND OF.
SERVING AS A. TOOL TO. >> DO THAT? YEAH I THINK I THINK THE CHARTER COMMISSION WOULD ACTUALLY BE A GREAT TOOL TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT UM APPOINTED IT'S NOT AN APPOINTED
COMMISSION. IT'S ELECTED FROM THE PEOPLE. UM AND WHEN THEY DO COME TOGETHER. IT'S NOT THEN MAKING A FINAL DECISION DID THEY THEY'RE THEN AGAIN PUTTING IT IN FRONT
OF THE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON UM SO I THINK IN ESSENCE WHAT THAT DOES IS IT MOVES THE POWER BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE HOW THEIR GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BE SHAPED AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE MOVING
FORWARD. UM, SO YEAH, SO I THINK A CHARTER COMMISSION WOULD BE GREAT AND GETTING PEOPLE MORE EXCITED AND MORE ENGAGED IN
SAID CITY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PERFORMATIVE THEY CAN MAKE ACTUALLY LIKE REAL CHANGES. UM AND SO YEAH I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY CONCRETE. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I UM I TRAVELED I HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY TO CHILE ACTUALLY UM IN 2022 I BELIEVE IT WAS CORTES WITH A COHORT OF. FOLKS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL
WHO. ARE LOOKING AT CIVIC DISCOURSE AND AND CHILE WENT THROUGH THERE, UM, REWRITING THE ENTIRE CONSTITUTION AND UH, I WAS THERE FOR SOME OF THAT AND I
GOT TO SEE. IT AND AT. PLAY AND IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE TO RICHARD'S POINT IN TERMS OF THE ROUTE HOW RANDOM IT WAS THAT IT
WAS A PROCESS IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO WERE THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED BECAME THE MOST LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND AND. INFORM WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE LIVING THE REALITIES
USUALLY HAVE THE BEST IDEAS OF WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND SO I WAS REALLY. INSPIRED BY. WHAT CHILE DO, UM, THE COUNTRY WAS ABLE TO DO IN TERMS OF ACTIVATION AT A TIME WHEN
THEY WERE GOING THROUGH PROTEST AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TURMOIL POLITICALLY THERE. BUT REWRITING THE CONSTITUTION WAS WITH THAT AND THERE WAS ALSO CITIZENS LEAD WAS REALLY
INSPIRING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT. I LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU ALL CAN TALK TO THAT I'M SURE THAT YOU PROBABLY DID NOT ANSWER 101 QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, BUT I WANT TO I WANT TO GET THIS ONE
IN HERE. IS THAT THE WITHIN WITHIN THEIR PROCESS THEY HAD DIFFERENT COMMITTEES UM THAT WERE TACKLING ISSUES OF LIKE. HOUSING. . ISSUES OF EDUCATION, ISSUES
OF PUBLIC SAFETY. SO EVEN WITHIN THEIR PROCESSES THEY HAD DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS. UH CAN YOU IS THAT SOMETHING THAT RICHARD OR YOU GUYS HAVE
SEEN IN OTHER CITIES WHERE THERE IS A COMMISSION. OR THE CIVIC ASSEMBLIES BUT THEN THEN THERE ARE FOLKS. WHO ARE DOING WORK. SPECIFICALLY AROUND DIFFERENT ISSUES.
OR NOT. >> JUST CURIOUS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S THERE'S FOR SURE A PRECEDENT OF THAT. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, CIVIC ASSEMBLIES ARE SOMEWHAT NEW TO
THE UNITED STATES UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES. UM. >> BUT I THINK PEOPLE ARE USING THEM TO TACKLE ALL. >> SORTS OF DIFFERENT ISSUES. UM, THERE ARE ALSO. YOU KNOW, FOLKS TALKING ABOUT USING PERMANENT ASSEMBLIES THAT ARE COULD ESSENTIALLY BE AN
ADVISORY BODY THAT SITS ALONGSIDE LEGISLATIVE. BODIES LIKE AN URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL. UM OR SORRY I'M SO PREDISPOSED TO SAYING URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE HAVE EMERGED. >> A CITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT. UM UH AND I THINK BUT I THINK LIKE THE BIG.
THING RIGHT IS. IS THE THE THE RANDOMIZATION AND THE SELECTION PROCESS. FOR ANY OF THESE. RIGHT. >> UM UH I. THINK THE THE PIECE OF. THAT THAT IS SO.
TRANSFORMATIVE, UM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED IS INVITING. PEOPLE WHO. >> ARE WHO. WOULD OTHERWISE. LIKELY NOT. PARTICIPATE AT ALL UM. UM TO TO HAVE A NOT JUST A. UM A. SEAT AT THE. >> TABLE BUT TO HAVE SOME REAL
MEANINGFUL DECISION MAKING POWER. UM UH I THINK THAT IS JUST IT. IS TRULY POWERFUL. UM, AND UH I'LL SAY I WENT INTO OUR ASSEMBLY PROCESS I GOT SOMEWHAT.
SKEPTICAL UM. BECAUSE THEY ARE THEY TAKE A LONG TIME A LOT OF WORK. THEY'RE EXPENSIVE. UM, BUT I'VE KIND OF COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE A BIT OF A CONVERT. UM, I. DEFINITELY SEE. >> THE. POWER THAT. >> THEY CAN HAVE. >> IN. MAKING REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS
UM, AND IN MAKING. DECISIONS ON THINGS THAT MAYBE . THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF SHOULDN'T BE DECIDING UM, PARTICULARLY ISSUES ABOUT ITSELF. UM, SO THOSE ARE ALL THINGS.
THAT UM THAT I'VE CERTAINLY OBSERVED OVER THE PAST. >> COUPLE OF YEARS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> AND I'M SURE MY TIME IS UP. BUT ONE MORE QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND AS I'M CURIOUS. IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHO ARE
THE. UH, NAYSAYERS. >> WITH IT? SO WHO ARE THE FOLKS. WHO WOULD BE AGAINST SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO KNOW WHO YOUR TARGETS ARE RIGHT. AT THE END OF THE. DAY WE'RE HERE ALL. ABOUT CIVIC LIFE. BUT THERE'S SOME FOLKS WHO JUST DON'T WANT IT.
SO CAN YOU TELL. ME WHO ARE THE TYPES OF FOLKS. THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS HERE IN BOSTON? LIKE WHO. ARE THE FOLKS THAT. ARE UH. OPPOSED TO THIS SORT OF TYPE
OF IDEA? LIKE I ALWAYS LIKE TO KNOW WHO THOSE FOLKS MAY POTENTIALLY BE SO THAT WE CAN START PREPARING OURSELVES FOR THAT BECAUSE WHAT I NEVER WANT TO DO IS ALIENATE. FOLKS WHO. >> DON'T AGREE. BUT I JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT
ARE THE PROTOTYPES OF FOLKS THAT POTENTIALLY. ARE NOT, UH. YOU KNOW, IN FAVOR. OF CHARTER. REFORM OR UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT CHANGE. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES LIKE.
WHO ARE THOSE FOLKS SO THAT I. KNOW WHAT I'M UP. AGAINST AND YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT WHAT WE. >> NEED TO PREPARE FOR. AND WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS. >> WHAT DO THEY SAY ABOUT WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT? SO WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT. TYPE OF.
YOU KNOW, RHETORIC. SHOULD WE. >> EXPECT TO HEAR FROM THAT. OPPOSITE SIDE. OF THE FENCE? OKAY. >> YEAH I'M HAPPY TO TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE . UM, I.
THINK UH THE THING THAT YOU KNOW. I FOUND THAT UM, ASSEMBLIES ARE ACTUALLY. >> A PRETTY EASY. CASE TO MAKE TO PEOPLE. UM, IT'S CONFUSING AND ALIENATING AT FIRST. >> I THINK PEOPLE.
DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. IT'S NOT SOMETHING. >> THAT THEY. >> ARE. USED TO KNOWING ABOUT. BUT PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU. >> TALK ABOUT THAT. THAT THAT. SELECTION PROCESS BEING REPRESENTATIVE. UM PEOPLE YOU START. >> TO SEE PEOPLE'S MINDS CHANGE A LITTLE BIT. UM.
YOU KNOW, LEXINGTON'S. A POLITICALLY CONTESTED CITY. UM, IT'S A FAIRLY YOU KNOW, ON THE BLUE SIDE OF. PURPLE BUT IT. >> IT'S. A PURPLE CITY. UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW. WHEN THERE.
ARE WHETHER. IT'S UM. CERTAIN POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES THAT ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN THE MINORITY OR. CERTAIN UM. UH. >> LIVED EXPERIENCES OR CERTAIN
PERSPECTIVES, UM. THAT FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T TYPICALLY AT THE TABLE. WHEN YOU. GO THROUGH EXTREME LENGTHS. TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE. AT THE TABLE, THEY START TO COME AROUND. >> A. LITTLE BIT RIGHT. >> LIKE. I SO THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF PEOPLE THAT I WAS TALKING TO WERE LIKE. OH MORE CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVES ARE NEVER PART OF DISCUSSIONS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND I WAS LIKE WELL. WHATEVER PERCENTAGE.
OF OUR COUNTY IS REPUBLICAN. UM THAT IS HOW MANY REPUBLICANS WILL BE ON THIS ASSEMBLY. UM AND THEY'RE LIKE. >> OH SO IT'S JUST WHAT. >> THE WHAT THE COUNTY IS NOW. YEAH MAKES SENSE.
THE SAME WITH PEOPLE. UM UH OUR COMMUNITY HAS. A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. 90% OF. >> THE PEOPLE ON OUR CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE HOMEOWNERS. UM. >> SO THERE. >> IS A HUGE PERSPECTIVE. >> ABOUT ISSUES IN OUR. COMMUNITY, UM, WHERE FOLKS THAT RENT.
UM, 50%. >> OF OUR. COMMUNITY ISN'T AT THE TABLE. UM, AND. SO WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO TO TO TENANT. GROUPS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SAY YEAH, 50% OF THIS. ASSEMBLY ARE GOING TO BE RENTERS.
UM, AND SO IT REALLY. STARTS TO CHANGE. UM, THE SORT OF TRADITIONAL. CALCULUS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT WHO SHOWS. UP AND WHO PARTICIPATES AND. WHO HAS A. MEANINGFUL SAY, UM, IN OUR
COMMUNITY WHEN YOU ACTUALLY. ARE BEING FULLY. REPRESENTATIVE AND IT'S DESIGNED TO BE THAT WAY. UM, I THINK THE. BIG PUSHBACK THAT WE GOT IS LIKE. MAYBE THINGS IN THE CHARTER DON'T. NEED TO CHANGE. UM, AND THAT IS YOU. KNOW.
>> THAT THAT IS A PERSPECTIVE THAT. IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. TO GET PAST. I WILL SAY. GOING INTO OUR. ASSEMBLY NOT QUITE 50%. BUT A. PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL GROUP. >> OF OUR ASSEMBLY MEMBERS.
SAID THAT THE CHARTER. DIDN'T NEED TO BE REVIEWED REGULARLY. UM. THAT YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAME OUT WITH 88.8% OF THEM RECOMMENDING. THAT THE CHARTER BE REVIEWED
REGULARLY. UM, SO I THINK THE WAY. THAT TO GET THROUGH TO. PEOPLE THAT THAT THAT. AT LEAST OUR EXPERIENCE. UM OF PEOPLE THAT UM THINK.
THAT THINGS DON'T NEED TO BE LOOKED AT THINGS DON'T. >> NEED TO BE UPDATED. UM IS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUES VERY. CONCRETE ISSUES. UM ABOUT WHAT WHAT COULD BE CHANGED OR WHAT COULD BE ADDRESSED. UM.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TRYING. TO MAKE THE CASE THAT LIKE ALL GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT ITSELF AND EXAMINING ITS OWN. STRUCTURES AND. >> TRYING. TO DETERMINE HOW THEY CAN
BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT THEY REPRESENT UM THAT IS THE. >> SORT OF PROMISE AT THE HEART OF SELF-GOVERNANCE. UM, AND SO UH. I THINK. >> THAT THERE. IS THERE ARE CLEAR ARGUMENTS. THAT THAT UM. >> CAN RESONATE EVEN WITH
SKEPTICS. AGAIN, I WENT INTO THIS PROCESS. AS A SKEPTIC AND I'M. COMING OUT AGAIN. FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT IT. AND THANK YOU. AND I. SEE THAT THE CHAIR HAS. ALREADY SURFACED. YET AGAIN. SO MY. TIME IS. >> UP AND.
UM. >> IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY UH. AND WITH MY THIRD ROUND OF QUESTIONS THANK YOU. UM THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANT TO GO TO, UH. SO IT LOOKS LIKE
COUNCILOR FLYNN LEFT. UM, EITHER COUNCILOR BREADON OR COUNCIL MEMBER. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO PUT YOUR. YES. >> UM. JUST SO I'M CHECKING OUT, UH, I'M CHECKING OUT YOUR CIVIC
LET'S, UH, WEBSITE AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT, UH, THE WORK YOU DO. VERY IMPRESSIVE. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION. ABOUT, UH, IN TERMS OF YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC SPREAD. SO YOU ENDED UP WITH LIKE 36
MEMBERS FOR THE CIVIC ASSEMBLY. UM, I'M WONDERING DID YOU HAVE FOLKS REPRESENTED THE IF FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES AND, UM, FOLKS WITH UM, ENGLISH WASN'T
THE FIRST LANGUAGE LIKE UM, UH, INCORPORATING A DIFFERENT MAKING SURE. YEAH THAT. YOU HAVE I'M SURE YOU DID A GOOD JOB BUT UH, THOSE ARE TWO PARTICULAR SPACES AND I WAS
WONDERING WHAT THOSE PEOPLE INCORPORATED 36 DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE DAY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UM UH. SO I CAN. >> SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT. UM. SO WE DECIDED TO USE.
>> UM TO GO WITH DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE COULD GET REALLY. CLEAR DATA FROM. FROM FROM THE CENSUS UM, AND FROM OTHER SOURCES. TO BUILD OUR. EIGHT CATEGORIES MOST MOST ASSEMBLIES PARTICULARLY. IN EUROPE. UM ARE REALLY LOOKING ACROSS 2
OR 3. DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS. UH AND WE WERE TRYING TO TRY. TO HIT MANY MORE UM, WITH EIGHT. UM WE DID MAKE A. DETERMINATION UM EARLY ON THAT WE.
THAT UM. WE THAT LANGUAGE. UM WAS GOING TO BE FOR OUR FIRST. ASSEMBLY TOO MUCH OF. >> A LIFT. FOR US AS A. PRETTY RELATIVELY SMALL ORGANIZATION TO DO OUR ASSEMBLY IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
UM, AND WE RECOGNIZE FULLY THAT THAT IS A THAT IS A BARRIER. A LOT. >> OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SPEAK UM LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH. UM, AS THEIR. PRIMARY OR EVEN ONLY LANGUAGE. UM, BUT OUR.
EXPERIENCE OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS WE'VE RUN MANY PROGRAMS BILINGUALLY OR TRILINGUAL OR SOME EVEN IN FIVE LANGUAGES. AND THE OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT EVERY ASPECT OF. >> IT FROM TOP TO. BOTTOM TO GIVE SOMEONE A REALLY
FAIR SHOT IN PARTICIPATING HAS TO BE AVAILABLE. >> IN THAT LANGUAGE. UM, IN ORDER TO HELP THOSE FOLKS, UH, PARTICIPATE FULLY. UM AND WE WERE JUST CONCERNED. >> THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THIS ASSEMBLY, PARTICULARLY FOR THE.
DELIBERATION PIECES. UM. >> IF WE DO. >> AN ASSEMBLY AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE THAT'S SOMETHING. THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REMEDY. UM, BUT FOR OUR FIRST TIME OUT OF THE GATE, UM. WE WE WE MADE THE. DETERMINATION TO DO THE ASSEMBLY ONLY IN ENGLISH.
WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. WHO ENGLISH WASN'T UM THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE NECESSARILY. UM SO THAT IS. SOMETHING TO OF NOTE. UM, BUT. UH, IF I'M ABLE TO SHARE MY SCREEN I'M. HAPPY TO JUST VERY BRIEFLY SHOW YOU.
UM, THE DEMOGRAPHICS UH, THAT WE UM. WENT WITH LET'S SEE IF I CAN. UM, DO THIS HERE. UM, THIS. IS UH THESE ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS. THIS IS FROM A PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR. TO OUR COUNCIL. UM. >> NEXT UH, ON TUESDAY.
UM. BUT ON THE RIGHT YOU. >> WILL. SEE UH, THE GOAL. DEMOGRAPHICS WHICH ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF LEXINGTON. OVER THE. AGE OF 18. UM AND THEN WHAT OUR ASSEMBLY WAS UM SO THIS IS FOR AGE. AND RACE AND ETHNICITY.
YOU'LL SEE IT'S ALMOST EXACTLY IDENTICAL TO OUR COMMUNITY. YEAH. UM. POLITICAL REGISTRATION AND. COUNCIL DISTRICT. UM, YOU'LL SEE AGAIN, IT'S ALMOST EXACTLY REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY. UM. >> UH, SEX AND EDUCATION.
EDUCATION WAS OUR ONE OUTLIER, UM, WHERE WE, UM. UH, LOST. >> A FEW PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY. UM, THAT, UH THAT JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME AND SPACE TO TO TO DO ALL SEVEN OF THE SESSIONS. UM, SO IT ENDED UP GROWING.
THAT DEMOGRAPHIC OUT A LITTLE BIT AND THEN HOUSING STATUS. AND INCOME UM AND WE ENDED UP A LITTLE BIT OFF ON INCOME WITH UM MORE UH.
MORE PEOPLE BEING. LOW INCOME THAN WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY . SO ACROSS ALL UM, EIGHT OF THOSE. UH OF. >> THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS WE FEEL. REALLY GOOD THAT WE HIT UM WE HAD ALL OF THEM.
THAT'S GOOD. UM, AND UM, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION JUST WALKED THROUGH MY HEAD UH, IN TERMS OF THE
PARTICIPATION IT DID UM 25 UM WHAT WAS IT 25 HOURS OF DELIBERATION? 35 35 HOURS OVER SEVEN SESSIONS.
UM, OKAY. UM AND IN TERMS OF FUNDING THEN HOW DID YOU DID YOU DID YOUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT PUT MONEY IN OR HOW DID YOU HAVE TO FUNDRAISE FOR. >> IT OR. UH, WE DID. FUNDRAISE FOR IT.
UM WE DID. UH WE ACTUALLY. TOLD OUR. >> GOVERNMENT WE DIDN'T WANT THEM. >> TO PUT MONEY IN. UM BECAUSE. >> WE WANTED TO UH. THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME DOING THIS PROCESS AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO
PERCEPTION OF OR REALITY OF INFLUENCE ON THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE TAKING OUR ASSEMBLY. UM, AND UH AND FOR BETTER. >> OR FOR WORSE. I THINK. THAT THAT HAD THERE. BEEN UM SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT
FROM LOCAL. GOVERNMENT THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A PERCEPTION. UM THAT BEING SAID, IF WE DO. >> THE ASSEMBLY. AGAIN. >> I WOULD. >> LOVE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO COME. TO THE TABLE UH, TO AT LEAST MATCH IF NOT EXCEED. >> THE MATCH. OF UM OF WHAT WE RAISED WE
RAISED ABOUT $225,000 UM FROM A COMBINATION OF LOCAL. DONORS UM. UH, OUR MEMBERSHIP, UM AND NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY. THEN WE ALSO, UM, DUG INTO OUR RESERVES, UM, TO MAKE THIS
HAPPEN AND UH. AND AND YEAH, UM. SO IT'S GOOD. THAT I DID IT. EXCELLENT. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, COUNCIL ME HERE, WE'LL DO IT. UH, A THIRD ROUND AND WE'LL DO FOR FOUR MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. PUT WEBER I SEE I SEE YOU'RE THE THREE CAMERAS ON. >> MY BAD. JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION.
I'M SORRY. UH, IN TERMS OF LIKE SO I GUESS THERE'S THREE OPTIONS. FOR US IN TERMS OF. ACTUALLY REWRITING THE CITY CHARTER WHERE, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S UH I THINK IT'S LIKE GETTING. SIGNATURES TO HAVE THE ISSUE PUT ON THE BALLOT THAT. ELECTED. >> UH. >> COMMISSION TO. REWRITE THE CHARTER OR THERE'S A. >> HOME RULE PETITION, UH. OR THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE I CAN'T REMEMBER AT THE MOMENT
BUT. I THINK UH, JOHN SAID THE ELECTED UH CHARTER. COMMISSION WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO. FOR MISS ROBERTS KEY AND UH UH,
MR YOUNG, I GUESS. BASED ON YOUR. EXPERIENCE, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHICH PATHWAY UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD PRODUCE THE
BEST RESULTS? UM. >> UH. >> THERE'S A HAND UP. UM, I'LL SAY, UH, I'M, UH. NOT SUPER FAMILIAR WITH. UH WITH YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE INS AND. OUTS OF. >> OF YOUR ALL CHARTER REVIEW
PROCESS. I'M TERRIBLY TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE ONES, UH, OF OURS. UM, BUT UH, YEAH. I I GUESS UH I MEAN IN TERMS
OF ELECTING UH UH ELECTING A COMMISSION TO. DRAFT A CHARTER TO PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE. OR I THINK THE HOME RULE WOULD BE THE CITY COUNCIL.
DRAFTING A CHARTER AND DOING SO LIKE. I DON'T KNOW HOW SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT THOSE TWO OPTIONS? SO, UM, I'LL SAY FOR. AGAIN UM. FOR OUR.
PERSPECTIVE OUR. COUNCIL THERE. >> IN. OUR CITY. >> CHARTER THERE IS A THERE IS A UM. A PROVISION. THAT THE COUNCIL CAN FORM A 20 PERSON CHARTER. REVIEW COMMISSION. TO LOOK AT THE CHARTER UM AND.
AND DO IT NOT AS SORT OF AN OFFICIAL UM COMMISSION OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM UH THEY. IN THE. >> 1998 REVIEW THEY OPTED NOT TO DO THAT UM INSTEAD UH. APPROACHING OUR CITY'S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ASKING
THEM. TO PUT TOGETHER UH, A COMMISSION AND THEN FOR THIS ONE, UM, WE DID IT UH, AND SO THAT WAS ALSO NOT DONE TO THAT PROCESS. UM, I THINK THAT THE THE.
WHATEVER OPTION WOULD ENABLE UM. ,MORE UH. AND GREATER PARTICIPATION BY RESIDENTS UM WOULD BE THE OPTION THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND
UM, THE 1999. 1998 CHARTER REVIEW. THAT WAS. YOU KNOW, UM. HERE IN. >> LEXINGTON UH, THERE WAS NOT A WHOLE LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. UM, AND SO THE THINGS THAT WENT
ON THE BALLOT FAILED. UM, THE SAME WITH UM WITH PAST. CHARTER REVIEWS. SO I. >> THINK THE MORE. OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE A REALLY. MEANINGFUL SAY, UM. IN THE DECISION. MAKING AROUND CHARTER REVIEW, I
THINK THE BETTER. UM UH AND SO WHATEVER. >> OF THOSE. PROCESSES WOULD ENABLE THAT WOULD BE THE ONES THAT I WOULD. ENCOURAGE YOU TO TO PURSUE.
I THINK WHETHER YOU'RE MOVING IT. COUNCIL MEMBER ARE YOU GOOD? OH YOU'RE ON MUTE. MY MUTE YES.
UH SORRY. UH UM YEAH I'M I'M I'M GOOD. I SAW COUNCILOR. BREADON HAD HER HAND UP. THANK YOU. >> VERY MUCH. >> YEAH, I THINK JUST TO AND THE LOCAL CONTEXT THE CITY OF NEWTON HAD A CHARTER REVIEW
PROCESS IN UH, 2017 THAT WENT TO THE BALLOT AND IT WAS ULTIMATELY REJECTED BY THE VOTERS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS. UM, THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS IS
CIVIC UH, ASSEMBLY UM APPROACH SEEMS TO BE A WAY TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE LARGER POPULACE AND GET THEM EDUCATED ABOUT THE ISSUE AHEAD OF TIME. UH, RATHER THAN HANDING DOWN AN
EDICT THAT THEY HAVE TO VOTE ON IN AN ELECTION WITH UH, WHEN AND NOT NECESSARILY BE VERY WELL INFORMED. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT CERTAINLY WAS WORTH CONSIDERING
AND IT'S UH UM IT'S IT'S IT'S AN INTERESTING, UH, APPROACH THAT'S WORTH LOOKING AT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. GREAT. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILOR BURTON. UM, COUNCILOR HERE. YES. >> THANK YOU.
UM, I GUESS I GET THE REASON WHY. >> I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF. THIS BECAUSE. UM. >> IN 2000. OH MY GOD, LIKE 150 YEARS AGO I WORKED AT MTV TRYING. >> TO. GET YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN. POLITICS IN.
EVERY SINGLE STATE THAT I WENT TO, EVERY SINGLE YOUNG PERSON SAID WHY SHOULD I VOTE? THEY DON'T LISTEN TO US AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE. AND THAT TO ME WAS UM.
I THINK WHAT SET ME ON A PATH AROUND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE BECAUSE REPRESENTATION. IS PEOPLE ARE NEVER GOING TO. LISTEN TO FOLKS WHO DON'T VOTE OBVIOUSLY. UM THAT'S WHY BECAUSE THEIR
VOTES DON'T MATTER. THAT'S THAT'S HOW. THEY FEEL. AND SO. THIS FOR. >> ME IS A IT IS I HOPE THE LONG GAME. >> OF HOW WE'RE GOING. TO RESTORE. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. UM WE DON'T EVEN HAVE.
CIVIC UH UH, YOU. KNOW, IN OUR SCHOOLS. RIGHT? EVERYTHING THAT DEALS WITH ANYTHING THAT'S ACTIVATING. PEOPLE TO BE CITIZENS. >> WE TALK ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND ALL THAT BLAH BLAH BLAH. BUT WHEN. >> IT COMES. >> DOWN TO IT, WHEN I BUILD IN
THE. INFRASTRUCTURE TO. GET PEOPLE ENGAGED. >> IN THEIR. >> OWN LIVES AND FOR. ME. >> GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE POLITICAL. LANDSCAPE NATIONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT. BOSTON LOCALLY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO.
JOIN OTHER. CITIES AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO NOT ONLY JUST. RESTORE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT BUT BUILD. MEANINGFUL PATHWAYS FOR REAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE THAT. I BELIEVE. >> IS WHAT'S.
>> GOING. TO CHANGE THE. >> WAY WE TECHNICALLY. DO BUSINESS IN BOSTON. AND SO MY. UNDERSTANDING IS THAT. YOU KNOW, ASIDE. >> FROM. A HOME RULE PETITION. EVERYTHING THAT WE UM,
INTRODUCE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE ALL OF. THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT. WE WE WOULD HAVE. THEY WILL END UP. ON THE BALLOT. >> FOR CITIZENS TO. UM, VOTE ON. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT. ALSO IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD.
THAT POLITICAL MUSCLE BECAUSE. YOU'RE EDUCATING. >> THE. PUBLIC ABOUT. SOMETHING AND THEN THEY. >> GO. OUT EVEN IF THEY DON'T VOTE FOR ANYONE. THAT'S YOU KNOW, UP. FOR REELECTION. OR RUNNING FOR. OFFICE, THEY AT LEAST VOTE. FOR A. >> BALLOT INITIATIVE. >> THAT. IS NEAR AND DEAR TO THEM.
RIGHT? SO THAT EITHER WAY I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WIN AND I AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED WHO ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY. UNWILLING TO TO DO THIS TYPE. >> OF REFORM?
YOU KNOW, IT UM, MY MY. HYPOTHESIS IS THAT. PEOPLE WHO. YOU KNOW WHO ARE IN POWER WANT TO MAINTAIN POWER. . >> AND SO THIS IS A. POWER SHARING EXERCISE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND I THINK THAT EVERYONE.
WHO IS ENGAGED. >> IN. THIS PROCESS. NEEDS TO UH, UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY WHAT REPRESENTATION IS. AND SO I'M EXCITED THIS IS THE
LONG GAME. I HAVE NO UM, EXPECTATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS THROUGH THE COUNCIL PROBABLY NOT EVEN IN THIS TERM. THIS IS LIKE TO RICHARD'S POINT YOU GUYS HAD BEEN AT IT FOR A
WHILE AND CHANGE IS HARD ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT. SO WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE THIS WORK WHETHER I'M IN OFFICE OR OUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
I'M COMMITTED TO THIS WORK BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE BACK THE POWER. SO I'M JUST LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD. SO YOU'VE BEEN ADVISED AND YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
UM AND LASTLY RICHARD AND I SEE JOHN, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP. I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOU KNOW, FOR ME YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE REASON YOU KNOW WHY WE DO MOST OF THE WORK THAT WE DO HERE.
UM, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW DO YOU HOW DID YOU GUYS GO ABOUT, UH, ELECTING YOUR YOUTH REPRESENTATION BECAUSE YOU KNOW ,DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT. AGE IS IMPORTANT.
BUT YOUNG PEOPLE USUALLY GET LEFT OUT OF EVERYTHING AND EVERY SINGLE BOARD OR COMMISSION THAT I'VE ESTABLISHED IN MY OFFICE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A DIRECT UM, YOUTH
VOICE IN THAT THEY BOARD OR COMMISSION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YOUTH REPRESENTATION. SO I'M CURIOUS HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT MAKING THAT HAPPEN? YEAH. >> SO VERY BRIEFLY I'LL JUST SAY THAT OUR UM WE HAVE A WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST YOUTH
CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AT CIVIC LAX. WE TEACH BETWEEN 3 OR 4000 STUDENTS UM, UH A YEAR UM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE. AND SO WE ACTUALLY USE THAT
NETWORK TO ALLOW SELF NOMINATIONS. UM, SO SO STUDENTS COULD UM UH NOMINATE THEMSELVES UH TO PARTICIPATE. UM BUT WE ALSO COLLECTED THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS AND SO WE FACTORED
THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS INTO THE LARGER UM DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION POOL. UM, WE DID BUILD JUST ONE UM SEAT IN THERE FOR FOLKS UM, UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
UM, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS WE MADE THAT DESIGN DECISION UM UH UH THAT UH, YOU KNOW, YOUTH PRIVACY REASONS, UM, GIVEN THAT ALL THIS IS GOING TO BE ON TV,
UM, WE REQUIRED PARENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT, UM, TO A LOT OF THE SESSIONS UM, FOR UH A VARIETY OF REASONS. UM, AND SO WE ENDED UP HAVING ONE UH, 16 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT, UM, PARTICIPATE UM AND YEAH, SHE WAS WONDERFUL AND WE WERE UM AND ACTUALLY SHE'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE THREE MEMBERS UH ONE OF THE FOUR MEMBERS THAT IS PRESENTING TO OUR COUNCIL UH, ON TUESDAY. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
IF I CAN JUST JUMP IN REALLY QUICK. SORRY. UM, WE INVITED RICHARD TO THIS AND HE INFORMED US HE HAD A HARD STOP AT 1145 WHICH WE WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HONOR.
SO I WANTED TO JUST, UM, GIVE RICHARD THINK RICHARD FOREVER JOINING US AND ALSO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE ON TO YOUR NEXT MEETING AS WELL. AWESOME. >> YEAH, YEAH THANK YOU RICHARD . YEAH. >> IF ANYONE HAS ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU'RE WELCOME TO
EMAIL ME AT RICHARD AT CIVIC WAX.ORG UM AND ON IF YOU CAN SHARE MY EMAIL THAT WOULD BE GREAT BUT I'VE REALLY ENJOYED TALKING WITH YOU ALL TODAY. UM AND UH THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HOPE YOU'RE I HOPE YOU CONTINUE CONSIDERING DOING UH,
DOING A CIVIC ASSEMBLY FOR YOUR CHARTER REVIEW. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP I SAW BEFORE, UH, MY TIME IS UP. OH, YES. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK POINT ABOUT THE, UM, CHARTER COMMISSION.
AND SO OVER THE SPAN OF THE TEN MONTHS THAT THEY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER THE THE REFORM CHARTER ,UM, THEY THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND IN HEARINGS OVER THAT TIME.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ANOTHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THERE BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT THE NINE MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE THEN COMING TOGETHER TO BRING
THE COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE THESE HEARINGS TO SHAPE LIKE WHAT THE CHARTER WILL LOOK LIKE. UM, SO I THINK IF WE THINK ABOUT JUST RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT AND LIKE CIVIC LIFE, I THINK
THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I I THINK YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY AS ALL WAYS UH MY TIME IS UP SO I WILL NOT. WELL IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS COUNCILMEMBER HERE
I'M. OKAY SORRY BECAUSE I SAW YOU THERE SO JUST LIKE OH NO. CAN I GET THE GAVEL? SORRY. >> NO, I UM YEAH. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. FOR YOU. >> PLEASE FEEL FREE. I DON'T THINK ANY ANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY MORE
QUESTIONS. SO, UM, THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GRACE. YEAH. >> I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE, UH, THIS. CONVERSATION AND. SCAFFOLD IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK . >> ABOUT. PARTICIPATORY BUDGET WE.
PASSED THAT IN. 2021 WHICH GAVE. THE BUT. >> UH, THE CITY COUNCIL UH THE POWER. TO AMEND UM. THE MAYOR'S BUDGET AND. >> WE ALSO HAD THE.
PARTICIPATORY BUDGET PROCESS PUT IN PLACE WHERE CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO. GET A PERCENTAGE OF DOLLARS THAT. THEY CAN THEN DECIDE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN
DABBLING WITH. UH, PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY NOW FOR SOME TIME. AND SO THERE'S SOME GOOD. EXAMPLES AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, IF ANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH. THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGET, UH,
PROCESS AND. UH. >> ANY REFLECTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT WORKING, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO
DO SO THAT WE'RE NOT REPLICATING BUT POLICY. SO THAT WE. >> CAN GET IT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, CAN CAN ANYONE. >> TALK TO. >> ME ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT AS IT RELATES TO PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING? UH. >> IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ANY
OF THAT WORK. UM, SO I ACTUALLY WAS AT THE HEARING YESTERDAY ON THE PARTICIPATORY BUDGET AND I THINK UM, SO PRIOR TO THE HEARING I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH INFORMATION ON IT, BUT I THINK
CULPEPER RAISED SOME GREAT QUESTIONS SURROUNDING UM HOW. INPUT FROM ALL UM AREAS OF THE
CITY IS LIKE SORRY HE MADE POINTS AROUND UM JUST LIKE MAKING SURE LIKE EVERY DISTRICT IS INCLUDED AND PLANNING UM AND
SO HE HAD MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT LIKE MAYBE IF LIKE EACH DISTRICT GETS TO UM COME UP WITH AN IDEA THAT CAN BETTER SHAPE LIKE THE DISTRICT UM ON WHAT WHEN WHERE THE FUNDING CAN
BE SPENT. SO I JUST THINK ABOUT LIKE UM MAYBE JUST REALLY FLESHING OUT LIKE WHO IS BEING INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS. I KNOW THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE
LIKE UM FOR EVOLVING MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE EAST BOSTON, CHARLESTOWN ETC. UM BUT YEAH SO JUST MAKING SURE LIKE EACH I GUESS EACH ELECTION
CYCLE OR HOWEVER OFTEN IT'S COMING AROUND THAT EVERYONE IS INCLUDED. . >> THANK YOU FOR THAT ELEANOR. I CELEBRATE. ELENA ELENA I THINK OF THIS
STATE OF ILLINOIS. ELENA UM I THINK JUST IN INTEREST OF TIME I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THE PROCESS PIECE OF IT CLOSELY ENOUGH TO UH, GIVE A USEFUL RESPONSE TO THAT
QUESTION. SO I'LL GIVE YOU BACK SOME MORE TIME. GREAT. >> THANK YOU. YEAH. >> THE REASON WHY I POINT TO THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT WAS A BIG. CHARTER REFORM.
UH, THAT IT WAS ALSO CITIZEN LED UM AND COUNCIL SUPPORTED AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO UM. DECENTRALIZE POWER.
UM, AND AND I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WORK AND SOME OF THE THINGS. >> THAT ARE NOT WORKING SO THAT. WE CAN.
MAKE SURE WE GET AHEAD. >> OF IT. BUT I THINK THE CIVIC. ASSEMBLY'S PIECE. UM. >> PROVIDES US WITH A. REALLY GOOD PARTNER, YOU KNOW, HERE IN BOSTON OR A FEW ORGANIZATIONS. >> THAT. WE CAN WORK WITH. AND I REALLY LOVE THE FACT THAT
,YOU KNOW. IT DEFINITELY SHOULD LIVE. OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT. I DON'T THINK GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ENGAGED. I MEAN WE HAVE TO HAVE A ROLE IN IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO.
PUSH FOR THE YOU KNOW, THE POLICIES AND TO BE CHANGED. BUT I THINK THE CITIZEN LED. UM PROCESS. IS IS. WHAT I BELIEVE IS GOING TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL SO. >> THAT IT DOESN'T COME.
>> FROM WITHIN IT. >> IT REALLY IS. BEING LED. >> BY THE PEOPLE. UM AND SO. TO THAT POINT. YOU KNOW. ANY ANY. FEEDBACK THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE US HERE AS WE FINISH OUR TIME TOGETHER.
SO THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT KIND OF. WHAT ARE SOME VIABLE NEXT. STEPS AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING BETWEEN NOW AND. >> THE NEXT TIME WE MEET BECAUSE. THIS IS. >> THE FIRST HEARING THEN WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION. >> INTO. WORKING SESSIONS. >> AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT KIND OF HOW WE WRITE THIS.
UP IN A WAY TO PRESENT. >> IT OFFICIALLY AT SOME POINT. BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW ,IF. >> YOU COULD JUST PROVIDE. >> SOME INSIGHT IN. TERMS OF. NEXT STEPS AND THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE. THINKING ABOUT? YEAH, I MEAN I CAN TELL YOU
THAT YOU KNOW, JEN UNITY AND OUR UM, SISTER ORGANIZATION PARTNERS IN DEMOCRACY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON UM, SCOPING OUT A STATEWIDE CITIZEN
ASSEMBLY, UM, AS WELL. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT A LOT OF RESEARCH AND A LOT OF LIKE UPSKILLING ON OUR TEAM TO UM, ENSURE THAT WE. >> HAVE. THE PROPER YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE KNOW WE HAVE FACILITATION SKILLS AROUND HAVING
CONVERSATIONS ACROSS DIFFERENCE . BUT THIS IS LIKE A VERY SPECIFIC THING. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING UM, SORT OF BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET READY. TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT A PROCESS LIKE THIS.
UM I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I KEEP HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS THAT. BEFORE YOU PUT PEOPLE IN A ROOM TOGETHER, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE BUY IN FROM
DECISION MAKERS. I THINK THE WAYS THAT IT HAS GONE THE MOST POORLY IS PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS REALLY AMAZING, EMPOWERING, YOU KNOW, TRUST BUILDING LIKE SEVERAL DAYS
USUALLY IN A ROOM TOGETHER COMING UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS BUT THE PROPER BUY IN WASN'T UM ESTABLISHED IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T GO ANYWHERE AND THAT HAS
THAT IS WORSE THAN NOT DOING IT AT ALL. SO I WOULD SAY IF THIS IS A UM YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP UM OR CONSULT OR SUPPORT IN ANY WAY IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY LIKE SCOPING AND
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT BUDGETS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THIS STATEWIDE PROJECT ANYWAY. WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO PARTNER ON THAT. UM, BUT I WOULDN'T PUT THE
PROCESS FORWARD UNTIL THERE IS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE USED BY THE COUNCIL SO THAT THAT'S THE THE MAIN PIECE OF ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE. I MEAN SO I THINK THAT'S
PROBABLY JUST SOCIALIZING IT WITH YOUR PEERS UM, AND ENSURING THAT IF YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THAT WE AT THE END OF THIS WHETHER IT IS YOU KNOW, JUST CHANGING A SMALL ACUTE SMALL FEW THINGS OR A WHOLE
OVERHAUL, HOW IS THE PUBLIC OPINION ACTUALLY GOING TO BE USED BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ANY DAMAGE TO TRUST WHEN THIS IS A PROCESS THAT PRIMARILY BUILDS TRUST.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. HI JOHN, ANY OTHER LAST THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? DO YOU WANT TO SHARE AND THEN I'M DEFINITELY.
GOING TO NOT HOLD THE PEOPLE HOSTAGE IN AND GIVE IT THE REST OF MY TIME. YEAH NO I THINK UM. I THINK A LOT WAS COVERED. I THINK IT'S GREAT AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THINGS MOVE FORWARD.
GREAT. >> THANK YOU THANK YOU CHAIR UM AND THANK. YOU UH, JUST FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO WHO ARE TUNING IN UH, THIS THIS PARTICULAR HEARING. WAS DESIGNED.
SPECIFICALLY TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY UM, AND TO WORK ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO HOPEFULLY WILL BE LEADING THE EFFORTS TO DO THIS ON THE OUTSIDE. WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A SECOND HEARING.
UM. >> OR MAYBE. I DON'T. >> KNOW CHAIR YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF WHAT . LOGISTICALLY WOULD BE NEXT IS. BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION WAS NOT HERE AND WE DID NOT GET TO
HEAR FROM OUR LEGAL UH, COUNCILOR IN REGARDS TO WHAT THIS POTENTIALLY COULD LOOK LIKE. I OFFERED POTENTIALLY DOING A SECOND HEARING BUT BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD A HEARING IF WE GO STRAIGHT TO A WORKING SESSION
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION COMES IN AND IF YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT THE APPROPRIATE NEXT STEPS ARE GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION HERE, UH, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MOVING
LOCKSTEP BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHATEVER WE DO THE ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON IT. UM, THERE WAS A SIGNATURE THAT WAS REQUIRED BY THE MAYOR AND SO NOT HAVING THE
ADMINISTRATION HERE TODAY JUST WANT TO GET AHEAD OF, YOU KNOW, ANY POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS IN THE FUTURE IF WE CAN IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM AT A SECOND HEARING OR IF WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO A WORKING SESSION, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW KIND
OF WHAT WHAT TO EXPECT SO THAT WE CAN ALL MANAGE OUR EXPECTATIONS HERE. YEAH. >> I UM SO THERE'S THERE'S A LOT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SO I, I WHAT I
WAS HEARING WAS THAT THERE'S THE PREFERRED PATHWAY MOVING FORWARD IS POTENTIALLY A BALLOT QUESTION. UM BUT THEN EVEN EVEN AT THAT
POINT THERE'S NOTHING PHYSICALLY TO TO LOOK AT AT A WORKING SESSION. SO LIKE ARE WE GOING TO BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY THAT I HEARD WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE INTENDED FOR
LIKE A TARGETED ADJUSTMENT IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT WAS FOR THE BUDGET AND PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING OR LIKE TARGETED FOR A SPECIFIC ISSUE. ARE WE GOING TO THINK OF A
BROADER IT'S AS A PART OF LIKE A BROADER THINKING OF HOW GOVERNANCE OPERATES IN BOSTON. SO IF IT'S THE LATTER, I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS REFORM WILL UM WILL BE IN THE
CONTEXT OF LARGER STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND YEAH, LIKE WHAT IS THE PREFERRED METHOD MOVING FORWARD? UM, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT THE BALLOT QUESTION WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT WE DID IN 2021 AS WELL. UM, WITH THAT IT MAY COME WITH A CONSTITUTIONALITY LIKE CHECK FROM THE AG'S OFFICE LIKE THE THE LAST CHARTER AMENDMENT DID. SO I THINK THERE'S THERE'S A
LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE SO I JUST DON'T HAVE A FIRM ANSWER FOR YOU. BUT IF I WOULD ONLY WANT TO DO A WORKING SESSION IF THERE'S LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND PASS THROUGH IN THE
COUNCIL IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM WANT TO DO. THANK YOU CHAIR I JUST. >> YOU KNOW IT'S. ABOUT GREATER GOVERNANCE BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE CHANGE OF.
OUR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE. SO I JUST YOU KNOW I THINK THAT THAT IS A HEAVIER LIFT THAN I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS. AT THIS POINT. WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO YOU
KNOW, OUR OFFICE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH A SPECIFIC AGENDA. WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR THIS IS THE OUTCOME WE NEVER WALK INTO IT WITH THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE REALLY WANT TO CREATE.
A MEANINGFUL CONTAINER IF YOU WILL, FOR THE PEOPLE TO HELP US IDENTIFY THE ROLE THAT THEY WHAT THEY THEY WANT US TO TAKE AND HOW THEY WANT US TO MOVE. AND SO.
THAT'S KIND OF. WHERE WE'RE AT. UM. >> IN THIS PROCESS. AND SO GIVEN. THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT WAY OF HOW WE NORMALLY DO THINGS, UM, YOU
KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FROM, YOU KNOW, OUR LEGAL COUNCILOR AND YOU KNOW, HOW WE HOW WE SHEPHERD THIS THROUGH THE PROCESS. YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAYBE WE DO
THIS WORK OUTSIDE OF CITY GOVERNMENT. YEAH. AND WE IT COULD DOWN WORK WITH THE PEOPLE AND THEN WE BRING IT BACK INTO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ALL
COME UP WITH. UM BUT I STILL THINK WHAT I NEED TO HEAR CHAIR, IS UM THE ROLE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WILL PLAY IN HELPING TO SUPPORT
THE WORK LIKE WE DIDN'T HAVE LEGAL COUNCILOR HERE. RIGHT. >> SO I DON'T KNOW. IF YOU. SEE DOING A SECOND HEARING BEFORE WE MOVE INTO WORKING SESSIONS SO THAT WE CAN THEN
HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE, WHAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF. THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I. WANT TO GET AT. SO THAT WHEN WE'RE COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC
WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO AND HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. YEAH. >> AND I HAVE NOT HAD SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION SO I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM. BUT I DO BELIEVE LIKE GIVEN THE FACT THAT CHARTER REFORM
TOUCHES LIKE THE VERY FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURES OF CITY GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE ROLE OF MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL AND THEN WE HAVE HOW WE ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING RIGHT WITH. THE THE. >> THE THE SIGNATURE OF THE
MAYOR BEING NECESSARY LIKE WHAT ROLE WOULD THEY PLAY? WHAT ROLE SHOULD THEY PLAY IN HELPING TO SHAPE MAYBE WHAT SOME OF THE OVERSIGHT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IN.
UM SO I, I DON'T HAVE LIKE I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM BUT I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW LIKE WHAT THEY THINK THEIR ROLE SHOULD BE WHETHER THAT'S
ADVISORY OR OPERATIONAL OR DIRECTIVE IN THE FUTURE. SO PARTICULARLY IN DRAFTING PROPOSALS LIKE DO WE WANT THEM TO TO BE HELPING DRAFT THE PROPOSALS OR CONDUCTING THE ANALYSIS. SO THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS I
THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN EARNEST WITH THEM AND UM AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER THAT. YEAH. >> BECAUSE I KNOW THIS THIS. PARTICULAR ITERATION OF OUR WORK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS.
IT THEY USUALLY. HAVE A A A VOICE AND AND IN DRAFTING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT FORTH I'M NOT DRAFTING BUT AT LEAST THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF INPUT IN SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO PUSH. SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ENGAGED. UM BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO NEED THEIR BUY IN. UM. ,AND SO. YOU KNOW. WE'RE JUST.
FOR US THAT'S ABOUT WE'RE EXPLORING THE PROCESS RATHER THAN JUST THE REFORM AND THE YOU KNOW, THE CONTENT OF THE REFORM. RIGHT. LIKE FOR US IT'S REALLY. ABOUT THE HOW WE GET THERE NOT
SO MUCH WHERE WE'RE GOING. RIGHT. SO THIS IS THIS IS WHY I'M SAYING THIS IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF OF PROCESS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT
HOW WE USUALLY LAUNCH AND SO THE PROCESS IS IS GOING TO BE WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO MAKE THE OUTCOME BETTER. AND SO GETTING THAT DIRECTION
WOULD BE HELPFUL AT SOME POINT SO THAT WE KNOW WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PLAYERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN OUR DECISION MAKING. YEAH. >> SO TOTALLY AND I THINK THE
UNDERSTANDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION'S INVOLVEMENT AND THEN THE COUNCIL'S LEGISLATIVE ROLE IS GOING TO BE UM, AS WELL AS LIKE LIKE WHAT WHAT COORDINATION IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY WITH THE STATE.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THE BALLOT INITIATIVE THEN THAT'S LIKE WHAT 50% OF THE VOTERS AND ALL OF THAT AND THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE THEY'RE THERE BUT I AND SO I THINK
THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AND SPECIFICALLY LIKE WHAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE UM, WHICH MAY BE INFORMED BY YOU KNOW, AN
OUTSIDE CITIZENS ASSEMBLY THAT YOU DO OR YOU DO SEPARATELY FROM THE COUNCIL. UM, SO THAT YEAH, AT THIS POINT I JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FIND BECAUSE I REALLY JUST DON'T KNOW. OKAY. >> OH, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND SO WE JUST. WE JUST, YOU KNOW, NEED. >> TO. CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH COMMUNITY AS STAKEHOLDERS AND GETTING OUR DIRECTIVE FROM THEM AND THEN WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU
ALL, UM, FOR NEXT STEPS. THEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THIS IN PARTNERSHIP. THE LAST TIME WE TRIED TO PASS SOMETHING WAS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. IT TOOK US TWO YEARS TO DO THAT.
UM AND SO THIS IS. A LOT BIGGER AND MORE STRUCTURAL CHANGES IF WE EVEN GET TO THIS POINT. SO UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE FOR THE LONG RUN AND JUST MANAGE EVERYBODY'S EXPECTATIONS.
THAT'S TUNING IN. THAT CHANGE DOES TAKE TIME. AND WHILE WE SAY CHANGE CAN'T WAIT, WE ARE YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS RIGHT AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR US
TO DO JUST THAT. SO THANK YOU UH FOR YOUR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN. THANKS EVERYBODY. UM I DO I DON'T SEE ANYBODY
SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND UM, JUST MOVE FORWARD TO CLOSE THIS HEARING. BUT I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR HERE FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0410 IS ADJOURNED. THANKS, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
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