Last week, I witnessed an astonishing presentation by a @CityofLdnOnt's advisory committee, rich in data, wide-ranging in evidence-based recommendations, compelling in its timeliness, persuasive in its urgency. Tonight the same report is getting pushback from councillors. 1/n
The pushback is not about the info in the report -- it's unassailable -- but about the role of such committees, and I'm astonished again. I wonder if maybe I don't understand what community advisory committees are s'posed to be doing at all. 'Cause this is what I thought.... 2/n
@shawnwlewis has a point: City staff have expertise -- in building parks, governance, waste diversion & so many more things. And councillors know stuff, too. But advisory committees are also made up of experts, by training & lived experience. They are the community's wisdom. 3/n
When we say we need to examine a civic problem through this or that "lens" -- diversity, disability, climate, active transportation -- that's your community advisory committee! Like, "there's an app for that." 4/n
The people who sit on the City's advisory committes are people who run businesses devoted to highly relevant issues; professors who teach these subjects, or just teach how to think; citizens who live these realities. And they generously share their expertise ...
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The volunteers on our citizens advisory committees generously share their expertise so that generalists & specialists, bureaucrats & politicians, doers & dreamers all have access to the best information & wisdom the community can offer to make the best decisions they can. 6/n
How do we ensure that our advisory committees are made up of the best & most qualified community volunteers? By entrusting our elected officials to choose the members from an application process -- using ranked ballots, no less, the method we use when we really want the best. 7/n
So an advisory committee dropped a truth-bomb, threatening to disrupt business-as-usualband challenging council to make tough decisions and hard asks of staff. But this is the job the public expects of council, and the members worked hard to convince us they could do it. 8/n
And if a committee speaks truth to power & brings evidence along, they also are doing the job they were assigned and maybe shouldn't be dismissed on the grounds that they're asking the City to do hard things. If they were easy things, maybe you wouldn't have asked for advice? 9/n
We call something a "no brainer" when it's easy to choose a course of action because dearly-held values & practices are not put into conflict. Building a better city puts many values & practices into conflict so, obvs, it's a "'many brainer." Lucky us! Advisory committees! 10/n
Honouring the work we commission from community advisory committees in #ldnont is how we'll house our citizens, invite greater diversity, manage waste better, build safer streets, achieve reconciliation, ensure accessibility & make our city age-friendly, among other things. 11/n
That is, honouring the work of citizen experts, sitting as advisory committees, is how we consult community wisdom to create the best opportunities for a resilient, sustainable, democratic #ldnont. At least, that's what I always thought it was about. But one other thing.... 12/n
'Kay, just 1 more thing. I get worked up about democracy, and we all should but, tonight, the belittling of advisory committees is just the sideshow. The centre-ring is THE REPORT THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO READ. I'm shitty at click-bait. Just read it:
wats.uwo.ca/CMP_Review.pdf
13/13
wats.uwo.ca/CMP_Review.pdf
13/13
.@threadreaderapp unroll please.
