Committee seeks to bolster community inclusion and acceptance

June 30, 2020 | Angelica J. Core
angelica@thereminder.com

EASTHAMPTON – The Community Relations Committee (CRC) was founded July 11, 2018, by the City Council and approved by Mayor Nicole LaChapelle five days later. CRC is an official Easthampton committee created by the city in response to the city-spirit initiative.

According to the CRC’s website, their mission is to build inclusion, community, and pride, where community members feel welcome, accepted, and valued.

In order to be selected to the committee, interested individuals were required to send a letter to the Mayor’s office that stated why they would want to be on the committee and what community relations means to each individual.

The next step was an in person interview with LaChapelle. Although the mayor chose the selected members, the committee is completely independent of any mayoral oversight.

“The idea was to create a diverse group of 11 members who would establish their own rules of operation, mission statement and goals. Even a year into this process we are still a work in progress,” said committee Chair Jane Hamel.

Despite COVID-19 putting a stop to all in person interactions, they continue to have their monthly meetings via Zoom. All of their zoom links are posted on the cities website, under agendas. All the meetings are public in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.

These are not Town Hall meetings or open forums. The committee has time for “public speaking” where residents have time to address the committee with issues and concerns. Hamel said if the topic is outside of the published agenda for that meeting then they take it under advisement and decide whether it should be on the agenda for the next meeting.

If it is a more urgent matter, they pass it to the Mayor’s Office or the Police Department.

CRC’s vision statement reads, “We envision creating an Easthampton community in which all members have a voice, are connected, and feel empowered. By 2025, we will provide opportunities for open dialogue, connect citizens to their government, and support Easthampton it its path to becoming a community of Good Neighbors.”

For more information on CRC, visit the city’s website at https://easthamptonma.gov/.

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