Last week, the Cambridge City Council adopted new Rules that will further limit public participation at Council meetings. That is exactly backwards.
One of the most common frustrations expressed since the Multifamily Housing Zoning Ordinance was adopted is that residents feel their concerns are not being heard. Yet on June 8, eighty-nine Cambridge residents signed up to speak on proposals intended to address the ordinance’s negative impacts, and their speaking time was reduced to one minute each.
If residents believe their voices are not being heard, the answer is not to provide less opportunity for public comment. The more consequential and controversial an issue becomes, the more opportunity residents should have to be heard—not less.
The City Council should adopt a simple principle. If a meeting is expected to continue beyond 10 p.m., the first evening should be devoted primarily to public comment, allowing residents their full speaking time. Council deliberation and voting can continue the following day after councillors have had time to consider what they heard.
Public comment is not a procedural obstacle. It is one of the few opportunities residents have to place their concerns, experiences, and expertise directly into the public record before decisions are made.
Good government is not measured by how quickly a meeting ends. It is measured by whether residents believe they were given a meaningful opportunity to be heard before decisions are made.
Young Kim / Norris Street, Cambridge
A stronger
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