On the City Facebook page: “Last evening we kicked off the first monthly meeting of the Community Advisory Board — sponsored by the local NAACP and President Lee — with Mayor Donchez and 23 members of the community participating. The city’s Use of Force Policy and the responsibilities of the city’s professional standards unit were discussed.”
As of 8am this morning, there were two comments to the post: “Was this a secret???” and “Was this invite only?”
Exactly Gadfly’s sentiments.
Gadfly ventures to say that there’s a kind of hunger in the wider “community” for such a presentation and subsequent discussion.
Will there be a report on the meeting? Gadfly has been confused about how this group fits into the need for local public discourse responding to the George Floyd murder.
He hopes that the local press was there and that we’ll see an article on the meeting.
Who are the members of the “Community Advisory Board”? Below is a list.
At the very least, one wonders about representatives from Black Lives Matter on the Board. At the very least, one would hope that the activists who spoke at Council July 7 were present and participating last night.
Gadfly hopes that the police presentation will be repeated at the Community Engagement Initiative the Mayor may be forming per the City Council resolution and a Council Public Safety Committee meeting now in limbo because of COVID-19.
7/13/20 Community Advisory Board Membership
Robert Donchez, Mayor
Esther Lee, President Bethlehem Unit NAACP
City Council – Grace Crampsie-Smith, Michael Colon
Northampton County Executive – Lamont McClure
NAACP – Tomacene Nickens, Rabbi Levy, Carl Nelson
Clergy – Rabbi Michael Singer, Canon Dale Grandfield
Education – Dr. Roy, Superintendent BASD
Health Department – Kristen Wenrich
Homeless – Bob Rapp, BES
Latino Advisor – Cesar Cordova, Vivian Robledo Shorey, Olga Negron, Yadira Colon-Lopez
Youth (2) – Spencer Williams, Sydney Duffy
Police – Chief Mark DiLuzio
Police Union – Bill Audelo, President and (to be named)
Teacher’s Union – Laura Keding, President
Representative Steve Samuelson
Alex Karras, Chief of Staff