1/ While we wouldn’t do last year over again, #CHIdocumenters saw a lot happen in open meetings, local government and activism. So, before we put it behind us, here’s the story of 2020 through our eyes

2/ Back in January ‘20 #CHIdocumenters documented all meetings in person and had to navigate all that came with that...There's no one right way to run an open meeting but this setup wasn’t exactly "public-facing” / @rogueclown https://t.co/ae8xyorlYf
3/ #COVID19 was on the horizon––Dr. Allison Arwady called it at this @ChiPublicHealth meeting on February 19––but the average Chicagoan didn’t have an inkling of what would happen next / @britahunegs https://t.co/QEPVUgc2ZJ
4/ The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District @MWRDGC expected to celebrate every possible holiday this year in a similar fashion––how could it be otherwise? / @amelia_diehl https://t.co/goG3bUE0mU
5/ Independently, however, some public bodies were upping their government transparency game by proactively posting meeting materials and resources online (@ChicagoDPD) https://t.co/XYGi85lR3w
6/ To increase access to mental health services, Cook County planned to create video-call examining rooms where patients could access tele-health appointments / @RachelNaffziger https://t.co/XRnvRziCHo
7/ And the Regional Transportation Authority (@RTA_Chicago) was already trying to understand the long-term effects of a shift to more people working from home on @cta, @Metra & @PaceSuburbanBus / @morleydoc https://t.co/UOqynes2Uc
8/ Then concerns about #COVID19 started to grow… / @hcehogan https://t.co/ZMrFJsNgKr
9/ Things moved online... https://t.co/E46HJXh5Iv
10/ And government agencies had to adjust to a new normal. While the tech struggle was real… 💔 / @hd_documenter https://t.co/ETp5fBKIBl
11/ Remote public meetings brought some welcome innovations, like usernames that made it easier to ID the speaker + close-ups of slides / @MegannHorstead https://t.co/4Ku5RQe3yo
12/ And, as agencies got the hang of remote life, #CHIdocumenters covered more meetings than ever (600+). We documented… 🐤 📝
13/ Public bodies as they re-budgeted for a pandemic; South Shore Special Service Area (SSA 42) was quick to cancel its annual Summer Fest and redirect funds to support local businesses affected by the lockdown / @digitalSheila https://t.co/W8eJJ0QAZn
14/ @ChiPubSchools as it navigated the challenges of educating during a pandemic / @Rose26rv https://t.co/Qqsd5AOK9I
15/ City Council, @Chicago_Police and oversight agencies as they reckoned with the killing of #GeorgeFloyd, #BlackLivesMatter protests and police brutality / @newagehippie_ https://t.co/nbhB8C75m8
16/ Years of effort by middle schoolers “tired of being called cute and smart” come to fruition in the official renaming of Douglas Park to honor Frederick Douglass / @gremlina333 https://t.co/KGgiJR0kiE
17/ And 11 days and over 80 hours of city budget hearings, plus #PeoplesBudgetChicago conversations about what our communities need to be safe and thriving / @ahmad_sayles https://t.co/aYizx84SVd
18/ Here’s to each new day, healthy doses of skepticism and hope, and keeping our eye on the civic process. #CHIdocumenters

More from Government

You May Also Like