Dear Neighborhood Association officers, non-profit leaders, South End organization partners, elected officials, and all South End friends:
The much missed South End Forum meeting structure has been revived with our first meeting to be held on June 17 from 6 to 8 PM. We will meet in person in the Barclay Room at the AC Hotel (thanks to their graciousness) as well as online at this zoom link
Just as a reminder, the Forum brings together neighborhood associations, businesses, organizations, non-profits, interest groups, and others across the entire South End community to discuss issues of common interest and concern. Since its founding well over a decade ago, the Forum has provided a communications and coordination vehicle to both listen to and inform the broad SE community and help to drive dialogue, initiatives, and solutions to shared South End concerns and objectives. All are welcome to participate in the Forum; our meetings are open to the public
For the future, our plan is to meet once a quarter and look forward to the active leadership and participation of the full range of South End associations, organizations, residents, and businesses.
We plan to start the Forum meeting with what we intend to be a regular 30-minute agenda item in which each neighborhood association will have an opportunity to offer a brief two minute presentation/discussion of major issues or challenges facing the neighborhood, a description of specific neighbor concerns, a recent success, or even an idea/suggestion that they would like to make to your fellow South End neighbors. We call this the "Neighborhood Report" part of the agenda.
We hope that SE organizations will participate in this part of the Forum since it will help all South End neighbors to better understand the challenges and focus issues we each face. Please let us know who will represent your organization at the June 17 meeting and whether they will be online or in person.
We look forward to seeing all on the 17th and trust that the robust discussions that characterized Forum meetings in the past will once again continue to provide a welcome vehicle for sharing South End views and priorities, as well as offering a place for collaborative problem solving with real solutions.
FORUM AGENDA
6:00 PM: Welcome/Intros to Host Team
6:05 PM: Neighborhood Report: A brief and focused summary (2 min) of key issues of concern/challenge, ideas, etc. from each SE neighborhood association or organization (brief Q&A)
6:35 PM: Briefing from South End Business Alliance on the SE business environment: Philip Saul, president, SEBA (Q&A)
6:45 PM: The South End Waste Management/Trash Challenge and Future: Presentation by Dennis Roache, Gerry Gorman and others from Public Works. We will discuss the current trash/waste management environment, the new contract timing and outreach, pick-up timing, and all matters trash related (Q&A)
7:15 PM: Current Mass and Cass environment, expanded migration, and impact on the SE residential community: BPD Superintendent in Chief Robert Ciccolo will discuss the public safety dimensions and Kellie Young, Combined Response Team Director will discuss public health, outreach, CRT response team priorities and strategies. We will also discuss the Working Group efforts focused on public safety, actual recovery options, and needed judicial initiatives.
7:40 PM: Open Discussion of Streets and Sidewalks: No presentation, instead an opportunity for neighbors to share their concerns and priorities in the streets and sidewalks repair space. Our partners in Public Works and streets will listen to the feedback in order to get the pulse of what is important to South End neighbors and businesses. (Q&A)
8:00 PM: Adjourn
