What do you get when you bring together 165 residents of a single city, each randomly selected to reflect the demographics of their community, every member of city council, the mayor, an engaged community “super assembly”, 15 professional facilitators, and an organization dedicated to better public problem-solving?
You get actionable, real-world answers to tough community problems like housing.
I am honored share that I have been chosen as a facilitator for the first ever “Civic Assembly” in Akron and the state of Ohio.
A Civic Assembly is a group of residents who come together to work on one shared issue, in this case, housing. And, at least in this case, the delegates have the full support of both the city council and the mayor, backed by a memorandum of understanding with the city and a unanimous resolution from city council that boldy declares the city’s representatives will engage earnestly, transparently, and continuously with the civic assembly, the super assembly, and the resulting impact teams.
A civic assembly can tackle any community issue, but this one is focusing on “better access to safe, affordable, and well-kept homes, and is working toward three outcomes:
- Enough homes for different people and stages of life
- More money for housing and neighborhoods
- Safe and well-maintained homes across the city
This past Saturday we met for our first, full day working session and I was really impressed with the level of engagement, the thoughtful participation, and the well-structured sessions. We also spent some time learning about deliberative democracy and how to engage in it effectively. We’ll meet weekly for ten weeks to consider twelve issues that can be impacted by local government and that will have a meaningful impact in the community. The assembly will submit a recommendations report at the end of our time together. Then those who wish to continue will join impact teams, in coordination with the city, to continue the momentum.
I can’t wait to see what this amazing group comes up with in our next session. I’ll continue to share my learnings and observations here as things progress. In the meantime, here’s a peak at what deliberative democracy looks like in action:
nicolederr.com 