it’s possible the details for the Council Retreat may NOT be published until Thursday, January 18, 8 days before the first day of the Council Retreat. We believe the fact that the Council Retreat has been published on the City’s Events Calendar with the dates and identified as both the City Council Annual Retreat and a City Council Meeting qualifies as formal notice of the meeting and it is past time for the details of time of day, location and virtual attendance opportunities to be given to the public so interested parties can have adequate time to make plans.
Raleigh City Council Retreat, who knows where, who knows when?
We’ve been waiting patiently for the details to appear on the City’s Events Calendar so we can add the information to our calendar and publicize this important event. With less than three weeks to go before the retreat is scheduled to occur, the City’s Events Calendar still does not give us the time, the place, the agenda or even an indication as to if the event will be live-streamed or recorded for those who cannot make it to the undisclosed location.
Council schedules public meeting w/o streaming access or recording
They keep scheduling meetings at locations where they can’t provide online access and they make no effort to record the events for later viewing. They continue to refuse to provide the same level of access they demanded from the CACs. These are CHOICES they are making. And they are CHOOSING to provide the minimal amount of public access required by open meeting laws.
Council’s 2023 Retreat: Another Baldwin Shell Game?
Mayor Baldwin knows the most important goal of City Council’s upcoming 2-day retreat is to set strategic priorities for action in the coming term. She also knows that the chances of her priorities prevailing will depend on her ability to prevent other competing Council priorities from being adopted. That is why the first line of defense in Baldwin’s retreat agenda this year is to make sure it is chock-full of plausibly interesting things to see and do, minimizing the time available for other Councilors’ ideas about the future of Raleigh.
Starting off on the wrong foot
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin really stepped in it at the first City Council meeting of 2023. It was announced that Day One of the council’s retreat, an annual event of team-building and setting their collective direction for the year, will be held at an undisclosed location in Durham that has no ability to live stream the event for public access. Worse yet, the venue can’t even record the event for viewing after the fact. So much for improved community engagement!