CACs are back, or are they?

Long-time Raleigh resident and Midtown CAC Chair Larry Helfant delivered these comments to Raleigh’s City Council on August 20, 2024:     

I am here today because you have the Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council (RCAC) on the agenda. While this discussion is appreciated, it is not being presented by a member of the RCAC. You will be reviewing a staff summary again today that was presented in April, however this presentation was not composed with any Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) input.

You approved several requests from the RCAC in February. To date, only two requests have been granted:

• • officially recognizing and restoring support for the Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council (RCAC) and CACs, returning them to their unique and historic role with the City
  • and free meeting spaces for monthly meetings in public community centers.

While free access to technology and a meeting hosting platform were also approved, it has not come to fruition after three additional meetings with City staff.

The RCAC and CACs look forward to establishing a workable partnership with Council and staff in an atmosphere of trust and transparency that benefits both the City and its residents. But this won’t happen until the request that was made at the retreat in January becomes a reality – “a seat at the table”.

This means an open discussion with City Council and all relative departments, such as Housing and Neighborhoods, Community Engagement, Communication and IT for an honest dialogue about a path forward.

One final point that I hear over and over – why should we give special consideration to CACs, as opposed to other non-profits.

It is simple – CACs have a historical place in Raleigh’s past. They were created by Council action and have served as a valuable resource to the City and community. There is no other voluntary community group that has that distinction.

If you don’t respect and understand your history, you will make the same mistakes again as you try to recreate what has been lost.

Larry Helfant

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