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Public comment at Committee of the Whole: deer safety, inclusion work and a youth civic proposal
Summary
At the March 16 Committee of the Whole meeting, three public commenters addressed varied topics: a resident urged restrictions on urban bow hunting after vehicle-deer encounters, a community organizer described a 'collective care' inclusion initiative, and a young resident proposed pairing youth with commissioners to learn city government.
Three members of the public spoke during the Committee of the Whole public comment period on March 16.
Edward Nickerson, who identified himself as a Kalamazoo resident, urged tighter restrictions on bow hunting in the city after describing repeated close encounters with deer and one collision with his vehicle near Park Street ponds: "I also had one smack into the front of my car." He asked the Commission to limit how people can shoot arrows so "No arrows are going into people."
Rebekah Bergman (who identified herself as 'a te Renaissance Becks') described community organizing and a proposed collective-care initiative to bring churches, institutions and government together to support resilience and inclusion. Bergman emphasized relational work, connecting advocates and institutions.
Jude Watkins, a youth commenter, proposed that groups of kids and teens be paired with each commissioner, the mayor and vice mayor to learn how city government works, ask questions and prepare to participate in public meetings; he offered to meet with commissioners through his parent to discuss the idea.
These public comments occurred during the Committee of the Whole's public comment period; commissioners acknowledged the remarks before moving to the evening's presentations.
