public hearings coming up - Charter Review Commission
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Rachel MacNair
Apr 26, 2023, 12:01:36 PM4/26/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
With pleasure I report that our election attorney expert, Angela Gabel of St. Louis, was able to join the commission's meeting yesterday evening by Zoom, give a short presentation, and answer many legal and technical questions. The commissioners were paying rapt attention, and many took notes.
Still, the KC law department has always said negative things about RCV, and they got to have a closed session with commissioners afterward. As far as the evening went, they had the last word, and there was nothing we could do about it.
But there's something we can do now, which is that they decided on two meetings for taking public testimony on all topics having to do with charter review. Unlike these Tuesday meetings, where public comment waits until the end after they've discussed among themselves, these Monday meetings will be devoted entirely to public input:
Monday, May 1, 6 PM - north
and
Monday, May 8, 6 PM - south
The locations will be community centers, but which ones hadn't yet been determined last night. Presumably those will be found and announced fairly quickly., and we'll let you know once we know.
Meanwhile, all those who want to come to either one of the meetings, please mark your calendars. Verbal testimony will be limited to 2 minutes per person, but if you just want to come to cheer those who speak, that would also be extremely helpful.
For written testimony, that can be done any time:
by email to: public.t...@kcmo.org
An online form is at the bottom of:
-- Rachel MacNair
for Better Ballot KC
Voice and text: 816-753-2057
Rachel MacNair
Apr 27, 2023, 1:59:50 PM4/27/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc (NNI) is hosting the first of two public hearings for the KC Charter Review Commission.
Monday, May 1, 6 PM
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. - 5340 NE Chouteau Trafficway - Kansas City, MO 64119
Next Monday, May 8, 6 PM, there is supposed to be one in a central or south location, but we don't yet have word on the location. Those that could make that one, please mark your calendars.
Verbal comment will be limited to 2 minutes per person, but if you just want to come to cheer those who speak, that would also be extremely helpful.
This will cover all topics the commission is considering, so other people may be concerned about proposals for KC parks or changing election dates. It's also a time for citizens to bring up other ideas.
But it's crucial that we have a good number of people out there to testify or cheer on those who do. Larry Bradley and I have attended every administrative meeting and testified more than once each, and we've had an expert election attorney that gave them legal and technical details. But all that may be for naught if it's just us. Three people is a philosophical club; many people showing up is a movement.
Please be a part of the movement, and bring your friends.
Larry Bradley is coordinating for this meeting up north - you can call or text him at 402-321-4851.
I'll be coordinating for the one down south next week, once it's announced where it is.
-- Rachel MacNair
Voice and text: 816-753-2057
=========================================
Rachel MacNair
Apr 28, 2023, 1:02:31 PM4/28/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
We still don't have the information on where the second public hearing of the City Charter Review Commission will be - in fact, there hasn't even been an announcement from the city yet on the first one. We just knew the location that was suggested for it at the CRC meeting (see below), and we checked the website of the location, and there it was on their calendar.
We've already got quite a few people who say they're going to the one next Monday May 1, and the more, the better. Once we know the location for the one on May 8, we'll let you know.
See also below for those who want to submit written testimony instead of or in addition to.
Meanwhile, I copy below the names of the commissioners. If any of you have any personal or professional ties with them, having a friendly word with them directly outside of meetings might also be helpful.
- Eric Rose, First District, Secretary-Treasurer, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 42
- Jenny Johnston, Second District, President, Northland Chamber
- Karen Slaughter, Third District, Restorative Justice Facilitator, Center for Conflict Resolution
- Wilson Vance, Fourth District, Organizing Director, KC Tenants
- Linda Brown, Fifth District, President, Blue Hills Neighborhood Association
- Michael McGee, Sixth District, Attorney
- Margaret Jones, Community Volunteer
- Adam Miller, At-Large, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, American Century Investment and Founder; Bespoke Consulting
- Jack Steadman, At-Large, Director, Director & Team Lead, Relationship Management, C2FO
============================================
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc (NNI) is hosting the first of two public hearings for the KC Charter Review Commission.
Monday, May 1, 6 PM
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. - 5340 NE Chouteau Trafficway - Kansas City, MO 64119
Verbal comment will be limited to 2 minutes per person, but if you just want to come to cheer those who speak, that would also be extremely helpful.
Larry Bradley is coordinating for this meeting up north - you can call or text him at 402-321-4851.
Rachel MacNair
Apr 30, 2023, 4:09:13 PM4/30/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
Please forward this email on to others you know may be interested, and post the information on your social media.
The two public listening sessions set for the Charter Review Commission are:
.
Monday, May 1, 6 PM
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. - 5340 NE Chouteau Trafficway
Larry Bradley is coordinating for us for this meeting up north - you can call or text him at 402-321-4851.
Monday, May 8, 6 PM
Southeast Community Center, 4201 East 63rd Street
Rachel MacNair is coordinating for us for this meeting down south - call or text 816-753-2057
Verbal comment will be limited to 2 minutes per person, but if you just want to come to cheer those who speak, that would also be extremely helpful. The public is invited to speak on a variety of topics dealing with city charter changes. We as an organization will of course focus entirely on ranked choice voting for the mayor and city council races.
We hope to see you there, and bring your friends!
-- Rachel MacNair
for Better Ballot KC
in...@betterballotkc.org
May 2, 2023, 12:56:59 PM5/2/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
Remember that the second public listening session, the southern one, is coming up:
Monday, May 8, 6 PM
Southeast Community Center, 4201 East 63rd Street
Rachel MacNair is coordinating for us for this meeting down south - call or text 816-753-2057
Last night (05.01.23):
The charter commission acknowledged Better Ballot KC and RCV in their introductory talk before getting information from the public.
A large number of people were there to oppose the idea of changing the governance of parks away from a board and into the mayor's office. Since this is exercising a good many people, it's likely to be a major topic in the listening session next Monday as well. (We have no position on that, of course; I only mention it so we understand the lay of the land.)
But we're still facing negativity on the commission that needs to be straightened out. One comment was about how they don't think RCV is established enough around the country and not at all in use in Missouri. One comment was about the board needing to look into it more than the few weeks they were given.
Beth Jones spoke to a commissioner afterward, and he mentioned concerns about implementation and Missouri law. We've addressed these concerns before and will again, but this is a clear mark of the closed session they had with the KC Law Department after last week's administrative meeting - we knew the lawyers would say such things, and there wasn't anything we could do about it. Except try to straighten things back out again in subsequent meetings.
This shows the importance of people showing up next week - it could easily be make or break for convincing the CRC.
After all, they don't have to decide whether or not KC is using ranked choice voting. They only have to decide whether or not KC will have an opportunity to vote on whether or not we wish to. If they don't, they have explain to citizens why they blew off a successful petition drive asking for it. They have apparently not yet quite caught this point, even though it's been implied several times. But we know about psychology: repetition is what's needed, and it needs to be from many different people.
-- Rachel MacNair
for Better Ballot KC
For written testimony, that can be done any time:
.
in...@betterballotkc.org
May 2, 2023, 4:10:33 PM5/2/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
These are the prepared remarks that were read at the public listening session last night, so this lets you know exactly where we need to reach the commissioners. They understand benefits, but have contrary ideas that need to be addressed.
The Commission has heard extensive testimony on RCV. We have an appreciation for the stated benefits of RCV, including less divisive/more collaborative campaigns, elimination of the need for two separate elections, potential for reduced costs as general election is eliminated, better information as to what the electorate wants, and greater opportunity for candidates with less funding to be elected. However, we are leaning away from RCV at this time due to concerns about permissibility and implementation in accordance with RSMo 115, lack of precedent with other municipalities in MO, concerns that RCV may reduce voter turnout amongst certain voter populations, public perception around election integrity with RCV, and increased software/equipment costs for Election Authorities.
Remember that the second public listening session, the southern one, is coming up:
Monday, May 8, 6 PM
Southeast Community Center, 4201 East 63rd Street
Rachel MacNair is coordinating for us for this meeting down south - call or text 816-753-2057
-- Rachel MacNair
for Better Ballot KC
Voice and text: 816-753-2057
=========================================
For written testimony, that can be done any time:
by email to: public.t...@kcmo.org
An online form is at the bottom of:
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in...@betterballotkc.org
May 3, 2023, 10:41:21 AM5/3/23
to Better Ballot KC
Friends --
Remember that the second public listening session is coming up:
Monday, May 8, 6 PM
Southeast Community Center, 4201 East 63rd Street
Rachel MacNair is coordinating for us for this meeting down south - call or text 816-753-2057
Notes from the regular business meeting of the Charter Review Commission:
They plan to add a third public listening session on Monday, May 15, location to be determined.
On Tuesday, May 16, they'll decide whether they're going to meet the mayor's deadline of deciding what to recommend right away so the Council can decide whether to put it on the August 8 ballot (deadline May 25), or whether this rush job is ridiculous and they'll take more time and expect to put their recommendations on the November 7 ballot. There was some thought that it was better to have the new Council, which takes office August 1, rather than the outgoing Council to vote on the recommendations. That would definitely then be for the November ballot.
Due to public outcry, the mayor withdrew the parks board proposal, so there's not likely to be much more about that at the public listening sessions.
The co-chair tallied the comments at the previous night's listening session as 3 comments for and 2 against, which is hardly fair since the three for were clearly people who came to support whereas the two against were just side comments (of concern, not opposition) from people who were there anyway. Larry spoke with them both afterwards, and getting them straightened out on their points is likely. Still, the co-chair accounted this as about even, and said the written comments were coming in 50-50. The opposing comments are probably from the election officials and are done, so we have a good chance to outpace that with more comments going in -- see the bottom of this message for how to submit yours. Just a paragraph or two - just a sentence or two - is fine. See examples at Better Ballot KC - 2023 Charter Review Commission
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We will seriously need people to speak at the upcoming two meetings. We're limited to two minutes, which has the advantage that you only need to come up with two minutes or less of content. We called this "testimony" at a "hearing" before, but they call it "comment" at a "listening session," and those are really better terms. It's just sharing your thoughts, and no questions follow.
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