CHRIS RILEY ON CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT
Austin’s greatest resource is the collective energy of its citizens: we are passionate, creative, and capable of taking on any issue. As a city, we need to do a better job of tapping that resource. Here are a few examples of how we can do that:
- Take our boards and commissions seriously. Recommendations from a citizen board must be considered on virtually any policy decision within that board’s area of expertise; for instance, amendments to the Tree Ordinance should be reviewed by the Urban Forestry Board, and downtown alley vacations should be reviewed by the Downtown Commission.
- Revamp the Neighborhood Planning process. Changes in the neighborhood planning process have left many participants feeling frustrated and alienated. We need to rework the process to afford more latitude for neighborhoods to define the scope and focus of their plans, to provide clearer guidance about citywide needs and expectations, and to reduce the emphasis on arcane zoning classifications.
- Get better at e-government. In some respects, our city processes are still stuck in the 20th Century. For example, city notification about zoning decisions is still done exclusively by postal mail, even though many would prefer e-mail, and the long-awaited update of the city’s website is still lagging. Austinites rightfully expect their city government to strive for the most effective and efficient processes available, and to ensure that its communications are friendly to both users and the environment.
- Make the city’s decision-making more transparent. In order for our city to make decisions that live up to our expectations, we need to provide ample opportunities for citizens to participate in those decisions. That means providing enough time, notice, and information at every step for anyone to become well-informed. And the information provided needs to be intelligible to citizens; all too often, current notices are not.
- Renew our commitment to constituent services. Austinites should not have to contact the newspaper to get a problem fixed. Those who remember Jake Pickle know how much better our government could do at addressing constituents’ needs.
- Bring back office hours. Council Member Daryl Slusher, who served in Place 1 from 1996 to 2005, had a tradition of opening his office at a set time every week for anyone wanting to meet. It was a helpful, democratic practice, and it ought to be revived.
- Coordinate with non-profits. For many city responsibilities that draw on the general fund—parks, libraries, the arts, historic preservation—there’s at least one non-profit working to meet the same goals we share as citizens. We can all benefit from better communication and cooperation, especially now.
Download my Position Paper: Citizen Engagement
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