That government which is closest to the people, should be the most accessible to the people.

Yet local government often keeps its citizens at a distance. A democracy “By the People,” cannot function “Without the People.” For decades, I’ve watched public boards and committees endure public comments like they were sitting through a root canal.

Most voters can’t be bothered with local democracy. Except at national elections, local voter turnout is uninspiring. Our 2023 mayoral election in Greenfield produced a 32.9% voter turnout. Two-thirds of the voters stayed home. In our 2024 City Council election, 7 out of 8 of our precinct councilors either ran unopposed, as a write-in, or were appointed to a vacancy.

We need to elevate local citizen engagement:

·The state Legislature and Congress ask many questions of hearing speakers. Greenfield boards and committees never ask questions of anyone giving testimony. You get three minutes to speak before the bell rings.

·At the start of the June 5, 2025 Planning Board meeting, Chairman George Touloumtzis said: “This board has had a more flexible approach to public comment. It has not been at a special time, and it’s been more of a flow in different parts of the meeting when someone had a particular comment to make. It’s not been so rigid as far as time limits.” He quoted the state Attorney General as saying: “We encourage public bodies to allow as much public participation as time and circumstances permit.”

·In past practice the Planning Board has not “recognized” the public to speak during “discussion” or “deliberations.” Chapter 50-3 of the Planning Board Review of Applications, should add a new part C: “The public shall be encouraged to submit questions to the chair and to raise issues after an applicant’s presentation.” This would widen the conversation and make it relevant to the public.

·This same change should be made at the Conservation Commission, which currently says: “No discussion or comments will be entertained unless requested upon by the Chairperson of the Board or Committee.”

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·At City Council meetings, constituents sit silently in the audience for up to three hours of deliberations, and the president will not “recognize” citizens outside of public comment.

·City councilors could ask commenters questions. Under the Council’s Rule 5 of Debate, questions from councilors to “non-councilors” (i.e. the public) can be directed to the City Council president “at any time at their discretion.” Yet it never happens.

·City councilors and committee chairs should be required to disclose how many citizens send them emails — for or against an issue. Citizens shouldn’t have to file a public records request to see such constituent correspondence. One councilor referred to such lobbying as “spam email” because it is part of an organized campaign. By that standard, everyone signing the Declaration of Independence was engaging in crowdsourced spam.

·Boards and committees should explain in lay terms the meaning of each motion they discuss or vote on.

·The “full agenda” for every public body meeting should be published before each meeting, with the same documents that committee members see.

·We should amend our charter to create a 13-member At-Large City Council, giving all voters the right to vote for all seats on the council. As one former city councilor admitted: ”There are, in my experience, very few genuine precinct issues.” Our small city is one neighborhood, one constituency where all elected officials should look after the needs of all precincts.

·Elected and unelected board or commission members should provide a direct phone or email available to the public.

· Unlike state and federal lawmakers, our city councilors have no research staff. We should fund a research director to prepare briefing materials for councilors.

·Citizens who come virtually or in person to a public meeting, should not feel like they are intruding on a private meeting of insiders. They should be treated with civility. They should be able to ask questions, and have questions asked of them. Democracy is an exchange of opinions. Inaccessible democracy is an oxymoron.

At the May 8 City Council meeting, Councilor Wid Perry told the citizens who stayed until 10:30 pm: “I want to thank everyone who wrote to the council…It made me think a lot about what we wanted to do. You did a great job of presenting your case, and letting the public know all sides of the argument.”

With the federal executive branch dictating policy by executive orders, it’s imperative that local government listens closely to its constituents in more than three minute sound bites.

Al Norman’s Pushback column appears in the Recorder the first and third Wednesday of each month. Norman’s new book is “RAVINGS: American Wild Talk,” a work of historical fiction. The Kindle or paperback version can be found online at: https://shorturl.at/ZKIV2.