This city has let the area get wild and out of control. A factor is the extremely loud music being played which can be heard blocks away and in the homes of residents. My neighbor and I came to the council 2 years ago and we got a lot of nice talk but no action. Officers have told me the current noise control system is as frustrating for them as it is for residents.
I would also like to add that during the past few meetings I have attended, I have watched each one of the council members, present and the old, play on their phones, talk amongst themselves while people are speaking. The rules of decorum should also apply to you. When we are speaking to you, you should pay attention to us. We do pay part of your salary.
Livable Raleigh supports today’s proposal for community engagement put forward by Councilors Jones and Harrison. You don’t have to wait for your council retreat at the end of January where you will be discussing your longer-term solutions, you could act tonight to give CACs access to community centers with a simple motion and a vote directing staff to make it happen.
Congratulations to the new members of the council. I am hoping your election will lead to a new climate of openness and citizen cooperation from this new council, and not just from the new members.
With the election of four new Councilors, Raleigh voters have made it clear that restoring and improving city support for the public’s involvement in community affairs is a top priority. After three years, the voters know that waiting for a perfect solution is unrealistic and will only further delay city support for the essential and imperfect community conversations that are the foundation of an informed democracy. It is with this sense of purpose that the Livable Raleigh Advisory Committee offers six policy-level proposals for quick adoption. Our hope is that these proposals will have several positive effects: