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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2021-03-22 Minutes Preamble Subcommittee Meeting_202104201018345378Watertown Charter Committee Preamble Subcommittee Councilor Palomba, Councilor Feltner, Member William Oates Committee Report March 22, 2021 The Committee convened on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 5:30 pm by Zoom, in accordance with the Governor's Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c.30A, §20, relating to the 2020 COVID- 19 emergency. Individuals could join by zoom or phone by finding the links on the Town's website. Questions or comments can be sent to woates@watertown-ma.us. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a Preamble to the Watertown Town Charter. Present were Committee members Councilor Tony Palomba, Councilor Lisa Feltner, and CRC Member William Oates. Also present were CRC Member Anne Fitzpatrick, Deborah Peterson, Marcy Murninghan, Tyler Kemp -Benedict, Jacky van Leeuwen, Janet Jameson, and Alice Potlorick. Councilor Palomba began by reviewing what steps the Committee took at the last meeting. That meeting ended with a call for folks to draft a preamble that incorporated the values identified in the preambles, mission statements, and a confederacy that we discussed during the meeting. He noted that three new draft preambles have been submitted for review by the Committee tonight including one from Deborah Peterson, one from Marcy Murninghan and one from himself. The goal of the meeting is to review and comment on each of the draft preambles. The three drafts were including with the announcement of this meeting. They are also attached to these minutes. Also attached is the proposed preamble from Tyler. Draft from Deborah Peterson We are a small community in a much larger world. Our very localness and shared identity now feels threatened by a generic ever more globalized and monetized world. City government impacts the most basic of our needs — shelter, food, safety, and child rearing. Its services are localized and personalized. The well being of one member or one group is dependent on the well being of all members. Sharing the same space, we cannot be safe, healthy and prosperous unless all of us are safe, healthy, and prosperous. Therefore we expect our City government to cherish us all equally, provide according to needs and give value to our collective identity in all its decision making. Deborah explained that the draft is her best effort at expressing her high ideals for town government. It is animated by the understanding that our individual well being is dependent on the collective well being, and the pressing need to push back on the monetized forces behind all new development that threatens to remake our city into a profit making engine for global corporations. Reaction 1) Like the interdependence and overlapping set of relationships that are local and beyond Watertown. 2) Like the hierarchy of needs enumerated in the preamble. 3) Like the interconnectedness and situating Watertown in a broader setting and the inclusion of the idea of equity. 4) A number of participants liked the emphasis on values and value creation rather than on dollars and cents. -2 - Draft from Councilor Palomba We, the people of Watertown, acknowledge that the residents of Watertown live on land that is the traditional territory of the Pequossette people. We establish this Charter to provide the residents of Watertown vibrant neighborhoods, inclusive (and quality) schools, excellent municipal services, and thriving local businesses. We seek the fair distribution of government resources and guarantee the opportunity for all residents to reach their full potential while caring for one another and promoting the health, safety and welfare of our community. We recognize the impact of our decisions on future generations and commit to practices that foster a sustainable environment. To achieve these goals, we establish a Charter that places a premium on diversity and equity and citizen participation and community involvement. We expect ethical, transparent, and responsive leadership and inclusionary government practices and policies that foster collaboration and innovation. We place a high priority on integrity, accountability and goal -based evaluations. With these conditions in place, the residents of Watertown will live and grow in dignity and tranquility. Councilor Palomba explained that he was following a model suggested by others that the preamble should state what we want for our community and then state what we need in order to achieve what we want. Reaction 1) Like the land piece that links to the historic tradition and the inclusion of the current characteristics of Watertown and community. 2) Like the second principle -based paragraph that speaks to ethical conduct and integrity and democratic accountability. 3) Suggestion to include quality in the description of our school and pull from Tyler's piece the language of "being good visitors and stewards of this place". 4) Like the strong way of describing aspirationally what we want in Watertown, the focus on community participation, and how to use government to achieve this. 5) Like the format and we should use it regardless if we change specific wording because I really want the CRC to say, "I am making this change because of this..." and be able to point to something in the preamble so they are always bringing it back to a goal and how to achieve it. 6) Like the inclusion of the environment in it and suggest adding something about welcoming, possibly "welcoming and vibrant neighborhoods". Draft from Marcy We, the people of Watertown — mindful of generations who came before us and those yet to come as we seek a more perfect union; committed to preserving the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that are premised on a legal culture of accountability and transparency; and seeking to assure that local government ensures reflection and reason -giving while taking the fullest advantages inherent in the Home Rule Amendments to the Constitution of the -3 - Commonwealth — do agree upon, ordain, and establish the following Declaration of Principles and frame of government as the Home Rule Charter for our Town (City). DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF WATERTOWN * THE SAFETY & TRANQUILITY PRINCIPLE assures that basic levels of human and ecological well being are protected and nurtured, in service to the principles of freedom, justice, equal opportunity, social stability, and the common good. * THE HEALTH & WELL-BEING PRINCIPLE assures that decent standards of public health and wellness are paramount — affecting physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual spheres —to the capacity to flourish and grow, actively participate and engage, and carry out the obligations of self - governance, in service to the common good. * THE EQUITY PRINCIPLE assures that conditions and practices conducive to the fullest expression of individual and institutional vital powers and capabilities are cultivated and maintained, in service to human rights, climate resilience, infrastructure, and the common good. * THE "CARITAS" PRINCIPLE assures the existence and maintenance of civic ties and quality of life that promote a sense of belongingness and parity of esteem, in service to human and ecological dignity, respect, and the common good. * THE ANTICASTE PRINCIPLE assures the relevance of traditional social and legal practices that have disenfranchised members of some groups from active participation in public life, in service to pluralism, multiculturalism, diversity, inclusion, and the common good. * THE STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLE assures that the highest standards of good governance — including integrity, openness, transparency, responsiveness, collaboration, evaluation, and prudence — and ethical, honorable conduct will be carried out through a system of checks and balances, in service to mutual respect, sustainable prosperity, and the common good. * THE INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE PRINCIPLE assures that a full embrace of continued education and learning, creativity, independent initiative and enterprise, and application of new ideas and practices will occur, in service to performance excellence, adaptive resilience, and the common good. What I tried to do is gather all the information (ideas, suggestions, and writings) from our two previous meetings, from the preambles of other cities and towns which were provided by Collins, and from my own experience. Combine this information into to what we want and what we could create. How do we capture what we aspire to be which then can be translated into metrics for more accountability and evaluation, for compensation, and etc. It is the challenge of the universal to the particular. So I wrote the big picture in the preamble paragraph and then identified seven principles for the governance of Watertown by looking at social policy concerns without getting issue -specific. These principles can apply to social, civic, and business enterprises. It is important to acknowledge we are temporary stewards of the land and to remember this as we look to our 400 Anniversary. Also we should keep in mind that we are polycentric, fitting into regional, national and global space. Reaction 1) Like that you were defining the principles as opposing to just using a word. 2) In response to a question from Council Feltner, Ms. Murninghan explained the principles are designed to be welcoming to all individuals regardless of their political beliefs. You can disagree on some particulars, but you can agree on the outcomes. The principles are a constellation of civic virtue that guides the little ship of state that is influenced by many factors. They are not time -bound or tradition -bound, but they serve as universal conscience that can be used to check on policies and behavior. 3) It is a different way of framing, yes it is long with more words, but they are broken down in discreet areas that we can used to see if we are living up to the principles. Also, many of the ideas that we have been talking about are in the principles. 4) I like how the language in the first paragraph is modernized. It is aspirational at the same time the principles form a universe that can be used to guide us. 5) A really nice job with strong language. 6) There were general comments about the visionary language of a preamble and yet the need to provide leaders and residents with direction. Can we find the right words in the principles that provide the inspiration, but also are practical? There was a suggestion to condense the principles into paragraphs or to leave them as individual statements but consider ways to shorten them and remove redundancy. The general consensus was to do the latter. Next Steps 1) Send Marcy's draft in its present form to Mike Ward for comment 2) Review Marcy's draft, as well as the drafts from Deborah, Tyler and Tony, with an eye toward merging and purging. 3) Make sure those who attended this meeting get copies of all exiting draft preambles. Councilor Palomba made a motion to adjourn seconded by Councilor Feltner and passed on a roll call 3-0. Minutes were prepared by Councilor Palomba P.S. Also attached is a submission by Janet Jameson that was sent to the Chair a few days after the meeting. Deborah's Draft Discussed at the March 21 Meeting of the Subcommittee This was my best effort at expressing my high ideals for town government. That it be animated by the understanding that our individual well being is dependent on the collective well being and the pressing need to push back on the monetized forces behind all new development that threatens to remake our city into a profit making engine for global corporations. We are a small community in a much larger world. Our very Iocalness and shared identity now feels threatened by a generic ever more globalized and monetized world. City government impacts the most basic of our needs — shelter, food, safety,and child rearing. It's services are localized and personalized. The well being of one member or one group is dependent on the well being of all members. Sharing the same space, we cannot be safe, healthy and prosperous unless all of us are safe, healthy, and prosperous. Therefore we expect our City government to cherish us all equally, provide according to needs and give value to our collective identity in all its decision making. We, the People of Watertown... A proposed Preamble to the Watertown's Home Rule Charter Submitted by Marcy Murninghan to the Preamble Subcommittee of the Watertown Charter Review Committee March 22, 2021 We, the people of Watertown — mindful of generations who came before us and those yet to come as we seek a more perfect union; committed to preserving the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that are premised on a legal culture of accountability and transparency; and seeking to assure that local government ensures reflection and reason -giving while taking the fullest advantages inherent in the Home Rule Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth — do agree upon, ordain, and establish the following Declaration of Principles and frame of government as the Home Rule Charter for our Town (City). DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF WATERTOWN * THE SAFETY & TRANQUILITY PRINCIPLE assures that basic levels of human and ecological well being are protected and nurtured, in service to the principles of freedom, justice, equal opportunity, social stability, and the common good. * THE HEALTH & WELL-BEING PRINCIPLE assures that decent standards of public health and wellness are paramount — affecting physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual spheres — to the capacity to flourish and grow, actively participate and engage, and carry out the obligations of self - governance, in service to the common good. * THE EQUITY PRINCIPLE assures that conditions and practices conducive to the fullest expression of individual and institutional vital powers and capabilities are cultivated and maintained, in service to human rights, climate resilience, infrastructure, and the common good. * THE "CARITAS" PRINCIPLE assures the existence and maintenance of civic ties and quality of life that promote a sense of belongingness and parity of esteem, in service to human and ecological dignity, respect, and the common good. * THE ANTICASTE PRINCIPLE assures the irrelevance of traditional social and legal practices that have disenfranchised members of some groups from active participation in public life, in service to pluralism, multiculturalism, diversity, inclusion, and the common good. Page 1 of 2 * THE STEWARDSHIP PRINCIPLE assures that the highest standards of good governance — including integrity, openness, transparency, responsiveness, collaboration, evaluation, and prudence — and ethical, honorable conduct will be carried out through a system of checks and balances, in service to mutual respect, sustainable prosperity, and the common good. * THE INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE PRINCIPLE assures that a full embrace of continued education and learning, creativity, independent initiative and enterprise, and application of new ideas and practices will occur, in service to performance excellence, adaptive resilience, and the common good. Page 1 of 2 Tony's Draft Slightly Revised After Discussion at March 22 Meeting of the Subcommittee We, the people of Watertown, acknowledge that the residents of Watertown live on land that is the traditional territory of the Pequossette people. We establish this Charter to provide the residents of Watertown vibrant and welcoming neighborhoods, quality and inclusive schools, excellent municipal services, and thriving local businesses. We seek the fair distribution of government resources and guarantee the opportunity for all residents to reach their full potential while caring for one another and promoting the health, safety and welfare of our community. We recognize the impact of our decisions on future generations and commit to practices that foster a sustainable environment. To achieve these goals, we establish a Charter that places a premium on diversity and equity and citizen participation and community involvement. We expect ethical, transparent, and responsive leadership and inclusionary government practices and policies that foster collaboration and innovation. We place a high priority on integrity, accountability and goal -based evaluations. With these conditions in place, the residents of Watertown will live and grow in dignity and tranquility. Tyler's Draft Discussed at the March 8 Meeting of the Subcommittee Draft Preambles for Watertown Amending the Framingham Preamble to reflect some of the points made at the last meeting including: - Land acknowledgment language - Climate resilience language - Equity, diversity, inclusion, & human rights - Civic participation & engagement - Proactive forward thinking We, the people of Watertown, in order to reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government, do adopt this Home Rule Charter, while acknowledging that we live on land of the Massa-adchu-es-et (Massachusetts) and Pawtucket people. Although much of their history has been erased, we honor their achievements, contributions and struggles as we reflect on how we can be good visitors and stewards of this place. We need and want a local government that represents all who live, work, and create here; that supports thriving neighborhoods; provides high -quality, inclusive schools; protects safe and secure homes; values our elders; welcomes and values diversity; supports local businesses; promotes community participation; cares for those in need; and focuses not only on our present needs, but also the success of future generations. It is the expectation and intent that the Charter will continue and enhance voter participation; ethical, transparent, responsive, and accountable leadership; wise and sustainable use of public resources; respect for all in the community; and an engaged citizenry. We expect and intend that our government will promote equity, advance justice, and be welcoming and inclusive. For me a preamble should be short and contain the aspirations for the document that follows. As it prefaces a Town Charter, It should be poetic and inspiring and move the resident to want to read the document and live in the community. Of these three I think it is the idea of one being too cold and one too hot and the middle one is just right. Deb's is beautifully written and tells us much about Deb — with words like safe, healthy, cherish, equally, value; On the other hand Marcy's is a more academic approach choosing words like ordain, establish, declaration of principles, equity, caritas. Those strong principles can be a guide to the charter and perhaps should be given to the Committee members to keep them grounded. I think that Tony's with edits covers all the basics in a simple, concise way and has a warm and welcoming tone. I think the second paragraph might be changed a bit. But I do like the last sentence. It actually covers the ideas of the four choices - including Tyler's. We, the people of Watertown, acknowledge that the residents of Watertown live on land that is the traditional territory of the Pequossette people. We establish this Charter to provide the residents of Watertown with vibrant and welcoming neighborhoods, inclusive and quality schools, excellent municipal services, and thriving local businesses. We seek the fair distribution of government resources and guarantee the opportunity for all residents to reach their full potential while caring for one another and promoting the health, safety and welfare of our community. We recognize the impact of our decisions on future generations and commit to practices that foster a sustainable environment. To achieve these goals, we establish a Charter that places a premium on diversity, equity, citizen participation and community involvement. We expect ethical, transparent and responsive leadership and inclusionary government practices and policies that foster collaboration and innovation. We place a high priority on integrity, accountability and goal - based evaluations. With these conditions in place, the residents of Watertown will live and grow in dignity and tranquility.