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Council delays personnel vote after dispute over neighborhood council advisory organizers
Summary
A personnel matter to finalize key Department of Neighborhood Empowerment hires and an advisory group stalled after councilmembers and commissioners disputed whether the department should be required to appoint a small advisory panel of community organizers; the vote fell short of the 10-vote threshold for a personnel action and was trailed.
The City Council deferred a personnel vote on appointments to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment after a contentious debate over whether the department should be required to create an advisory group of professional community organizers.
Lee Alpert, president of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, told council members the commission and newly hired staff are already engaged in broad outreach and multiple workshops and objected to creating a small, appointed advisory panel that could appear exclusionary. "We are trying to be inclusive and not exclusive," Alpert said, adding that the commission was preparing a plan and had begun outreach and project coordinator hires.
Community organizers and several council members urged an advisory group to provide sustained, experienced organizing expertise so the department can reach "silent" or underrepresented communities. Madeline Janice Aparicio, speaking for organizers, said the department would benefit from organizers who "have worked for years and years in bringing people together and developing people as leaders." Councilmember Ridley-Thomas argued the absence of professional organizers on the commission and staff left an important gap.
The personnel motion to confirm appointments and the advisory approach recorded a roll-call of 9 ayes and 1 no; however, because it was a personnel item the action required 10 votes for approval and therefore trailed to a future meeting. Councilmembers directed continued work but did not finalize appointments that day.
Councilmembers said they expect rapid follow-up and emphasized the department and commission should use a mix of outreach strategies to reach diverse communities.
