Thread by @bdevero

Kalamazoo City Commission June 5 meeting — on the agenda tonight at 7pm:

-Police surveillance contract
-Diversity, Equity, Inclusion action
-Action targeting toxic gas / odor

-Much more

Follow for a few updates here tonight
#kalamazoo @KalamazooCity

The @KalamazooCity agenda tonight includes 4 proclamations and 19 action items and an update on a long-term violence prevention strategy

Agenda here:
kalamazoomi.portal.civicclerk.com/event/681/over…

For the record, I was here before (most) people
😎

Attendance tonight is above average I’d say.

Public comment is ongoing. People drawing attention to gun violence, safe streets and a play street, concerns about police surveillance.

Getting a report about proposed creation of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Department. Tanya Hewitt-Smith, who was raised on the Northside, is the DEI director, and she is speaking to commissioners now.
One @KalamazooCity gap to address is "transparent decision making"

I spoke at the meeting at the stroke of midnight -- not on the issue itself -- I asked @KalamazooCity commissioners to push for more transparency when considering a consequential change such as expanding police surveillance in the city....

I also said several questions remain about the police surveillance proposal and I would like to get them answered. I commented that meetings to get input from "businesses" should not take the place of a city commission meeting -- the meeting open to EVERYONE with official notice.

The city commission voted to postpone the police surveillance expansion after hearing a string of concerns from residents.