Thread by @CHIdocumenters

1/ While we wouldn’t do last year over again, #CHIdocumenters saw a lot happen in open meetings, local government and activism. So, before we put it behind us, here’s the story of 2020 through our eyes

2/ Back in January ‘20 #CHIdocumenters documented all meetings in person and had to navigate all that came with that...There's no one right way to run an open meeting but this setup wasn’t exactly "public-facing” / @rogueclown

https://twitter.com/rogueclown/status/1217840087263780866

3/ #COVID19 was on the horizon––Dr. Allison Arwady called it at this @ChiPublicHealth meeting on February 19––but the average Chicagoan didn’t have an inkling of what would happen next / @britahunegs

https://twitter.com/britahunegs/status/1331002857768759297

4/ The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District @MWRDGC expected to celebrate every possible holiday this year in a similar fashion––how could it be otherwise? / @amelia_diehl

https://twitter.com/amelia_diehl/status/1235609927319601152

5/ Independently, however, some public bodies were upping their government transparency game by proactively posting meeting materials and resources online (@ChicagoDPD)

https://twitter.com/CHIdocumenters/status/1225150537634631680

6/ To increase access to mental health services, Cook County planned to create video-call examining rooms where patients could access tele-health appointments / @RachelNaffziger

https://twitter.com/RachelNaffziger/status/1227267726428844034

7/ And the Regional Transportation Authority (@RTA_Chicago) was already trying to understand the long-term effects of a shift to more people working from home on @cta, @Metra & @PaceSuburbanBus / @morleydoc

https://twitter.com/morleydoc/status/1230514252768841729

8/ Then concerns about #COVID19 started to grow… / @hcehogan

https://twitter.com/hcehogan/status/1239569424505585664

9/ Things moved online...

https://twitter.com/CHIdocumenters/status/1242846728727990272

10/ And government agencies had to adjust to a new normal. While the tech struggle was real… 💔 / @hd_documenter

https://twitter.com/hd_documenter/status/1262525361042186242

11/ Remote public meetings brought some welcome innovations, like usernames that made it easier to ID the speaker + close-ups of slides / @MegannHorstead

https://twitter.com/MegannHorstead/status/1313530916824928257

12/ And, as agencies got the hang of remote life, #CHIdocumenters covered more meetings than ever (600+). We documented… 🐤 📝

13/ Public bodies as they re-budgeted for a pandemic; South Shore Special Service Area (SSA 42) was quick to cancel its annual Summer Fest and redirect funds to support local businesses affected by the lockdown / @digitalSheila

https://twitter.com/digitalSheila/status/1245121581162119168

14/ @ChiPubSchools as it navigated the challenges of educating during a pandemic / @Rose26rv

https://twitter.com/Rose26rv/status/1288314794320199680

15/ City Council, @Chicago_Police and oversight agencies as they reckoned with the killing of #GeorgeFloyd, #BlackLivesMatter protests and police brutality / @newagehippie_

https://twitter.com/newagehippie_/status/1296151875205693440

16/ Years of effort by middle schoolers “tired of being called cute and smart” come to fruition in the official renaming of Douglas Park to honor Frederick Douglass / @gremlina333

https://twitter.com/gremlina333/status/1237791434289205248

17/ And 11 days and over 80 hours of city budget hearings, plus #PeoplesBudgetChicago conversations about what our communities need to be safe and thriving / @ahmad_sayles

https://twitter.com/ahmad_sayles/status/1310303192958332930

18/ Here’s to each new day, healthy doses of skepticism and hope, and keeping our eye on the civic process. #CHIdocumenters