Problems With The 5 Minute-Mayor Thing

[iwasthere]

i will bring your ideas up to the mayor next month.

[AllanY2525]

IwasThere,  I am a "citizen emeritus" of Youngstown, living 300 miles away.  Dropping off
my suggestions isn't going to happen any time soon - but I was hoping that my suggestions
might encourage folks on this forum who actually LIVE in Youngstown to take the
initiative - especially where city council meetings are concerned - as I will, most likely,
never attend one in person.

Use social media to apply pressure on local government officials to effect change.
Put them in a bad light when they screw up - and tell the whole world about it.

[iwasthere]

alan drop off or certified mail these suggestions to the mayor's office. jm is multi media savory.  he is no dunce aka chas. sammarone when it comes to use all facets of media to communicate with ytown residents.

[Towntalk]

Another help would be to sit down before hand and write down the issue you wish to talk to the Mayor about keeping it to two pages. This way you can give him details that might slip your mind during your 5 minutes and hand it to him when you go in that way you maxamize your time with him. Be sure to sign it with your name, address and phone number.

[jay]

These are all good points.

[AllanY2525]

What if the city had a page on it's website with the "5 minutes" event
listed, along with instructions on what - and what NOT - to bring, how to be
prepared in order to get the most out of their 5 minutes, etc.

Once people sign in, ( perhaps 15 or so minutes after they "open the
doors") someone could update this page with the number of people
waiting, and the estimated WAIT TIME to see the mayor, for
anyone who doesn't show up right at 4:30 ( or whenever they start )

It would also let anyone with internet access check and see (afterwards)
what the attendance figures were for that day.  It could, over time,
be a barometer of how well all of this goes over with the citizens.

City Hall definitely needs to set up a waiting/welcome room for folks,
PREFERRABLY with at least a TV, and hopefully some hot tea and
coffee. 

How about an opinion poll that folks could fill out while they are waiting
to see the mayor?   Yet another way to get valuable input from citizens
about what issues are important to them - while they are already there.


Thoughts, anyone?

[iwasthere]

you were able to sign up then come back when it is your turn to speak to the mayor. jm did say to me that he and the pc will attd bw meetings together on a reg basis.

[Peggy Gurney]

Not really sure what they could do differently, other than supplying folding chairs for people to sit.
If you get there and there are 12 people in line, you have an hour wait. It's your choice whether to wait it out, or leave, as some people did.
Not much can be done, except to call and make your own appointment with him.

[AllanY2525]

Hopefully the Mayor will take note of the turnout first time around, and plan
accordingly for the next time around. 

With any luck, one or more of the folks who went to talk to the Mayor will
have complained about this, or made a suggestion or two as to how things
could be handled better next time around.

As far as wait times, if each person gets 5 minutes, that's only 12 people per
hour that he can meet with.  A quick head count by anyone waiting in line
could have told them that.

50 people waiting?  Over 4 hours to see the mayor.  100 people?  Over 8
hours to see him.

[Irishbobcat]

wow...it was like trying to see the Godfather at his daughter's wedding...Bertram was finally right about something!

[jay]

I've heard that some people arrived at 4:30 p.m. and were not allowed into city hall for about 20 minutes.  They were forced to stand outside where the wind chill was probably about 0 degrees.

It was taking a way too long for security to check inside ladies' purses and pass through metal detectors.
Ladies - Don't bring purses and don't wear bracelets, rings, earrings or necklaces.

People had to stand in the hallway.  No chairs were provided even though those arriving later wouldn't see the mayor for over one hour.

When some people were told that they had to waite for over an hour, they turned around and walked out the door.