The Cleveland Documenters team was in Chicago this week for a summit celebrating the civic power being built by people in more than a dozen cities that now have Documenters programs!

Here in Cleveland, we have a few bits from recent public meetings to share, including a contract approved to continue replacing outdated water service lines, and a call to have health professionals, not police, respond to mental health crises. Check out what we learned in this week’s episode.👇🏿

Listen to this week’s Public Meetings Report here:

The Documenters whose work contributed to this episode are:

  • Janelle James
  • Ayanna Watkins
  • Jenna Thomas
  • Tina Scott
  • Mildred Seward
  • Stesia Swain

Their work has been compiled this week by Signal Cleveland’s Rachel Dissell and Dakotah Kennedy. The Public Meetings Report is produced by Gennifer Harding-Gosnell. 

Learn how to become a Cleveland Documenter ⁠here⁠. The next Cleveland Documenters orientation is Thursday, September 21, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The Public Meetings Report is produced by Signal Cleveland and Cleveland Documenters, in partnership with WOVU 95.9FM “Our Voices United,” a Burten, Bell, Carr community radio station.

Show notes:

Signal Cleveland meeting briefs:

Documenters coverage: 

  • Board of Control meeting Notes [1], Notes [2] and Live-Tweets (Cleveland Documenters, August 30, 2023) 
  • Mental Health Response Advisory Committee Community Engagement Committee Notes and Live-Tweets (Cleveland Documenters, August 31, 2023) 
  • City Planning Commission Notes and Live-Tweets (Cleveland Documenters, September 1, 2023) 

Related Signal Cleveland reporting: 

Legislation: 

  • Legislation approving lead and galvanized piping replacement

Recordings: 

Other resources: 

The Public Meetings Report is a weekly audio rundown of what happened in local government meetings here in Greater Cleveland – in five minutes or less! The show is based on the work of Cleveland Documenters – residents like you who are trained and paid to document these meetings for the public. Produced by Signal Cleveland and Cleveland Documenters, in partnership with WOVU 95.9FM “Our Voices United,” a Burten, Bell, Carr community radio station.

Audio Producer (she/her)
I create audio stories meant to engage and inform people in a way that pushes beyond media stereotypes. I aim to build trust between local media and the community, striving to teach people “how” to think about life in Cleveland, not “what” to think.

Cleveland Documenters pays and trains people to cover public meetings where government officials discuss important issues and decide how to spend taxpayer money.

Documenters Program Director (he/they)
I steward the Documenters community. That includes holding and maintaining space to raise up Documenters work and questions. It also includes creating easy on-ramps to civic life and deeper civic participation via the exchange of civic information, knowledge and skills.