On Tuesday April 1st the Commission met in Hollywood United NC territory. During our first public comment period we heard from stakeholders on issues ranging from the effect bylaws may have had on recent elections to matters involving C4C. After conducting some Commission business we broke from our traditional meeting format for the start of a new program recommended by Commission President Karen Mack.
At our retreat in January we discussed forming various committees, one of which would focus on leadership and what we could do to encourage participation in leadership training among neighborhood councils. Commissioner Mack reasoned that the best way to start such a program was to lead by example by having speakers at our meetings to discuss their experiences as leaders. Our first speaker was Board of Public Works President Kevin James.
Commissioner James began by telling us his form of leadership is to empower others. He cautioned us that in doing so one should not abandon those things about which you feel strongly. He told us we should not be afraid to listen to others and if convinced of what they have to say not to be afraid to change. He again cautioned us that we should not change just for the sake of change but only if we believe it’s proper to do so. Commissioner James then gave us some concrete examples of how he had gone about solving some of the problems he has encountered since his appointment.
He spoke about the challenges caused by the size of the city bureaucracy and the time it may take to get something done. That, he said was not reason not to pursue your goals. One of the problem solvers he found most beneficial was to get all of the agencies into one room to work things out. This is something we can all consider when looking at how to solve problems in our neighborhoods especially where multiple city agencies might in involved.
Commissioner James spoke favorably about partnering with NCs and encouraged all NCs to appoint liaison to Public Works; someone who could communicate directly with the Department. Utilizing NC volunteers as sources of information about their neighborhoods can help get things done. As an example he cited the Neighborhood Blitz program; allowing NC volunteers to gather information about streets that need attention saves the city time and money and results in better results.
We all agreed that having Commissioner James as our first speaker was a great way to kick off the new program.
After our speaker the Commissioners got back to work on issues confronting NCs. We considered whether there should be any city wide policy regarding board selection and if so what areas of the selection process it might cover. We also reviewed a recommended change to our posting policy and what might be the consequences for NCs that do not follow it. If you’re interested in the initial proposal you can review it at this LINK.
Once again we encourage anyone who wants to comment on an issue before the Commission to come to our meeting and talk with us. If you can’t make it to a meeting send your comments by email to [email protected]. She will be certain we get it.
Our next meeting out in the community will be the evening of May 6th in Wilmington. We hope you can join us there or at our regular downtown meeting on April 21st.
