From:
Steven Clift
Date:
Jun 17 21:17 UTC
Short link
Hey there Seward ... hop across 94 to join us on Thursday.
Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org
Minneapolis E-Democracy Happy Hour this Thursday! (see below)
If you plan to come to the meeting portion please RSVP so we know to
watch for you: <email obscured>
If you plan to attend the happy hour, drop me a direct note so I know
what kind of space to try and carve out: <email obscured>
Cheers,
Steven Clift, E-Democracy.Org
Steven Clift wrote:
> We are going to hold a preliminary meeting to kick start Minneapolis
E-Democracy on Thursday, June 19 at 5:15 p.m. at Sargent Preston's at the Seven
Corners area.
>
> From 6:00 p.m. on we will call it a "Minneapolis E-Democracy Happy Hour" and
move outside if we can.
>
> The 45 minute pre-happy hour agenda includes:
>
> 1. Neighborhood Forums - Discussion of the grant supported Cedar Riverside
Neighbors Forum launch - http://e-democracy.org/cr - and our fledgling
neighborhood forums in Seward and Standish Ericsson. Powderhorn also plans to
join us later this summer and a proposed NE Minneapolis forum is in the works.
We may have a strategic opportunity to promote forums across the city (a local
volunteer is what each area needs) and generate use of this survey -
http://e-democracy.org/nf - where people can register their interest in seeing
a new forum in their area.
>
> 2. Steering Committee - We will also discuss creation of a more formal local
steering committee as "Minneapolis E-Democracy" to provide oversight for the
Minneapolis Issues Forum and the neighborhood forums as well plan a recruitment
drive, coordinate online voter education efforts, and more.
>
> 3. Minneapolis Civic Garden - http://wirelessminneapolis.org -
E-Democracy.Org is serving on a task force convened by the city to
develop/review/propose a number of things related to the Community Benefits
Agreement. E-Democracy.Org is specifically interested in ensuring the CBA lives
up to its potential by not preventing free access via the Civic Garden to low
income and other residents to access non-profit, non-partisan opportunities for
Minneapolitians to *discuss* issues important in their neighborhoods and city.
The civic garden is not a civic public forum as envisioned if only one-way
government and organizational information is allowed.
>
> 4. 13 Wards - 13 Gathering - In St. Paul, over the course of a couple years
the St. Paul Issues Forum hosted happy hours/gatherings in most of council
wards. If you like this idea, we need a coordinator or just someone to put
together a schedule and list of locations. After 10 years in the field, we
could use one big celebration for the Minneapolis Issues Forum.