Neighborhood board executive secretary nominee outlines plans to improve public access and board efficiency

The committee reported out for adoption the nomination of Lloyd Yoneinaka to serve as executive secretary to the Neighborhood Commission after testimony on strategies to boost public participation and make neighborhood-board meetings more efficient.

Yoneinaka told members he and his staff want neighborhood boards to be a resource for residents by speeding responses to common questions and by categorizing recurring issues so answers can be provided quickly. “If we already have that, you know, how do I get a speed hump in my community? Boom. Right here,” he said, describing a searchable set of common answers for boards and residents. He said neighborhood boards should run timely, focused meetings to encourage attendance and suggested collecting and reusing frequently asked questions about recurring topics such as speed humps, chickens and homelessness.

Councilmembers thanked Yoneinaka for outreach and noted the value of live-streaming and neighborhood-board staff support at meetings. Several members requested better metrics on position-description updates, board efficiency and plans to restore or sustain remote participation that rose during the pandemic. Yoneinaka said the city funds neighborhood boards and supplies meeting spaces, video cameras and minute-takers; he said the commission will work to make meetings both efficient and useful to residents.

The committee chair recommended reporting the nomination out for adoption.