Alders Can’t Hear Us!

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The Board of Alders can’t hear us - literally! Public hearings regarding the ‘20 -’21 Budget are about to begin and if they’re anything like the one’s held last year they promise to be a disaster.

During the public hearing held at Hillhouse High last Spring, the Alders sat in the orchestra pit where they couldn’t be seen or heard, there was only 1 microphone that was passed around, and even though it was 45 degrees outside, the air conditioning was turned on inside. And of course, the general public had to wait until the end of the hearing before making comments.

Public Hearings at the BOA Chambers are no better: the sound system doesn’t work well, the projector is small, people testifying sit with their back to the public, and attendees sit behind the often vacant Alder desks.

I’d like to see some changes as follows:

  1. Find a way to amplify the sound system.

  2. Invest in a projector everyone can see.

  3. Modify the seating arrangement so people testifying don’t have their back to the public.

  4. Allow the public to sit closer.

  5. Allow the public to provide comment earlier in the hearing.

  6. Broadcast the sessions. perhaps via Facebook Live or a similar app. 

  7. Too often the BOA doesn’t answer questions asked by the public. If a member of the public asks a question, the BOA should answer it, or promise to respond in writing at a later date.

  8. The Board (and public) should be allowed to submit questions in writing in advance of the public session and the Dept Heads should respond 24 hrs in advance of the public session so as to avoid any excuses by Dept heads for not having an answer to a question. This way, the public session time would be used for more substantive discussions.

  9. Dept Heads should be required to submit any presentations at least 24 hours in advance of a public hearing so the BOA and general public meeting can be prepared to ask questions.

  10. Any numbers submitted to the Board must include the detailed calculations.

    The City spends $625 million a year. Surely we can find a few dollars in the budget to improve the public hearing experience and process.