Have you ever been to a city council meeting? Odds are good that the answer is no. After all, weeknights are really busy when you've got a job to wake up for, kids to tuck in, rent to worry about ...
But here's the thing. The relatively small number of community members who DO attend public meetings don't often represent the range of backgrounds and priorities that exist in the community at large. One of the reasons I started this podcast was to encourage more types of people to participate in local government. Cities need diverse participation in order to have fair representation.
So the goal of this episode is to make city council and other public meetings seem more approachable. Journalist Robin Epley helps me break it down: how public meetings are structured, how to participate, how to make sure your voice is heard when you don't have hours to spare.
Action Item: Read the article Robin wrote when she covered government for at the Enterprise-Record in Chico: "How do city council meetings work? Here’s a primer." Then go to San Luis Obispo's website and subscribe to their email updates so you'll know when an issue you care about is coming up for a vote.
Bonus Item: Make a pledge to speak during public comment or email your council members at least once this year. If you can do that, you'll be helping to make sure citizens like you are represented when local decisions are made.
Episode produced by Francisco Martinez. Music by Wes Bisheff. Follow Agenda Breakdown on Instagram for update and action opportunities. Subcribe to Agenda Breakdown on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts—and if you liked the show, please leave us a review!
