Number
R13518
Version
Original
Reference
R13513
Sponsor
The Acting Chair
Title
Resolution approving initial policy and practices regarding Public Listening Sessions held during HACM Board Meetings
Analysis
Body
WHEREAS, The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee owns and manages low-rent public housing, affordable housing via low-income housing tax credits and project-based vouchers, market rate units, and provides a variety of Section 8 vouchers, serving a total of over 15,000 Milwaukeeans; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee has expressed an interest in adding public listening sessions to their Board Meetings as they value the thoughts of residents, participants and all citizens; and
WHEREAS, these listening sessions are not required by Wisconsin Open Meeting law, and currently no other City of Milwaukee-affiliated boards or committees regularly utilizes listening sessions; and
WHEREAS, the Commissioners, with resolution #R13513 passed on October 9th, 2024, directed staff to research the Open Meeting laws as well as policies and practices developed by other bodies and present such to the Board for consideration; and
WHEREAS, staff has determined that the Commissioners have discretion over factors such as whether to hold listening sessions, the frequency of any such listening sessions, whether listening sessions have a specific focus or take in a broad range of topics, the length of time each speaker can speak, and the order of speakers; and
WHEREAS, for these discretionary decisions, staff is recommending that beginning in 2025, the Board commits to having no less than three listening sessions a year, with a goal to hold four per year, either for general input or on topics to be selected by the Board prior to each listening session, with speakers being called to speak in the order they signed up in; and
WHEREAS, regarding other aspects of the Listening Sessions, staff is recommending that the Board adopt a standard set of rules based on legal and experiential guidance , which are attached to this file, are followed, ; and
WHEREAS, the Commissioners will want to review all of these initial practices over time as considerations evolve, for instance, as additional information becomes available or as members of the Board join or leave; and
WHEREAS, the Commissioners must be mindful of balancing the time of their volunteer service, among other factors, while assessing the effectiveness of those listening session methods and practices; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Board shall implement public listening sessions following the policies and practices in the HACM Board of Commissioners Listening Session Rules contained; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board directs HACM staff to include no less than three listening sessions in the 2025 board Meeting schedule, with a goal of four, and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, to leave open the option to revisit these initial policies at future meetings, at the Board’s discretion and may be amended via resolution in the future.
Requestor
Drafter
Housing Management October 9, 2024