海角破解版

Analysis

From 1968 to 1977, WVIZ offered Northeast Ohioans a free ticket to the hottest show in town: Cleveland City Council鈥檚 Monday night meetings. Channel 25 broadcast council鈥檚 gatherings in full, along with color commentary from .

The citizen reporting team at Cleveland Documenters carries that torch today, and thank goodness. Because to the layperson, council鈥檚 ways seem so arcane that city business may as well be intoned in Latin.

You鈥檙e welcome to watch the proceedings, no matter how inaccessible they may seem. But if you have something to say to your elected officials 鈥� well, bite your tongue. There鈥檚 no public comment at Cleveland City Council鈥檚 regular meetings.

At least not yet. A resident-led campaign called Clevelanders for Public Comment has now rustled up support from seven council members. They鈥檙e pushing to give the people a speaking role in council鈥檚 Monday night parliamentary drama.

Without space in the agenda for the public, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a lot easier for existing leadership to sort of drive the conclusions. It鈥檚 less messy,鈥� according to Nora Kelley, one of the comment campaign鈥檚 leaders. 鈥淏ut democracy鈥檚 kind of a messy thing.鈥�

Their legislation seems tailored to the mess-resistant on council. Commenters are limited to three minutes. The comment period lasts until everyone is done, or until 30 minutes are up, whichever comes first. And commenters must fill out a form before the meeting to get on the list.

Council members already field phone calls, emails and texts from constituents alerting them to quality-of- life complaints big and small. But to Nora Kelley, that鈥檚 just not the same as having residents address the entire council 鈥� and entering their words into the public record.

鈥淚 think if I was a legislator making public policy decisions in the city, and I鈥檓 making decisions across all 17 wards, I鈥檇 want to have a pulse from folks outside my ward, as well,鈥� she told me.

In late January, Nora Kelley and other activists across those 17 wards sent a letter to Council President Kevin Kelley 鈥� no relation to Nora 鈥� urging him to allow for public comment.

The council president responded last week, just as he officially turned the ignition switch on his mayoral bid. Kevin Kelley wrote that he would refer the idea to council鈥檚 鈥渞esearch policy cluster,鈥� which would make a recommendation to the operations and rules committees.

鈥淚鈥檓 very open to it,鈥� Kevin Kelley told me last week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 going to dramatically impact operations. I just want to make sure we do it the right way.鈥�

Technically speaking, public comment is already allowed at committee meetings, where the true legislative jawing takes place. But in practice, as far as I can recall, that rarely happens. Committees meet during the workday, and commenters must request time from the committee chair.

Clevelanders for Public Comment has straightforward principle on its side: City Council conducts the people鈥檚 business, and it ought to hear from the people at its public meetings.

It鈥檚 also deft politics in this municipal election year.

The campaign offers an ideologically neutral issue on which to challenge candidates and council鈥檚 leaders. Whether or not everyone in the coalition agrees on a mayoral candidate, or police funding, or residential tax abatements, they can at least build a big tent on the common ground of public comment.

And does any council or mayoral hopeful really want to be branded as the candidate who told voters 鈥� in an election year, no less 鈥� to sit down and shut their traps?

I鈥檒l admit that I have skin in this game: Public comment is great for reporters. Looking for someone with a strong opinion on the legislation you鈥檙e covering, maybe equipped with a compelling anecdote? Well, here they are, right in front of you! No phone calls or door knocks needed.

Clevelanders for Public Comment and their allies say their proposal will rejuvenate 鈥渟mall-d鈥� democracy and maybe even help resuscitate the city鈥檚 voter turnout.

鈥淲hile public comment is not a cure-all, it will contribute to a culture of citizen involvement and engagement, and it will help to build trust between elected leaders and residents,鈥� Ward 15 Councilwoman Jenny Spencer said at yesterday鈥檚 news conference.

Public comment alone won鈥檛 reconnect the many people who have fallen away from local democracy in Cleveland. It will take work to include those who don鈥檛 typically have the time or money to drive downtown on a Monday night. And they鈥檒l need to know that what they say matters to the council members who hear them.

Still, it鈥檚 a simple way to take the first step.

鈥淐leveland is not a resource-rich city,鈥� Nora Kelley said. 鈥淏ut this is one of those things that City Council could do that residents care deeply about that doesn鈥檛 cost anything.鈥�

All it costs is some extra time at meetings. That鈥檚 a price worth paying.