This informal community workshop was held on August 6, 2025, from approximately 5:30 to 7:00 PM, to gather public input for the task force working to redefine a future public safety commission. Facilitator Denali and co-facilitator Isabella led the session, which included small-group discussions and a card-based activity to identify community needs for safety and well-being in Anchorage. The building closed at 7:00 PM, but pizza was provided afterward.
Alright, let's try this. Is that a little better? Yes. Opposite end of the spectrum. Well, welcome everyone. My name's Denali. And this is a community workshop to help inform the task force that is working to redefine what a future public safety commission might look like. I really want to thank you all for coming in. It's beautiful outside. This is a lovely turnout. We have a very simple agenda, but it's probably not gonna feel like a typical public meeting. So what we're hoping to do is create some space for some constructive dialogue. We had a KOP meeting back in June with the newly formed task force, and we heard some input that there was an interest in having more dialogue at kind of a more informal setting. And so that's what we're trying to create tonight, and so that's the hope. And our agenda is quite simple just to listen. So we've got uh folks in the room that are members of the public, and I really want to thank you for the courage it takes to participate in something like this. Um it's very brave, and um I have so much respect for um you making this high learning. Um we also have people who are elected officials here in the room. We've got members of the task force here, uh, other people that typically are wearing hats where they're in a leadership role, and this is a space for them to check their hats at the door and be participants. So my hope is and my challenge is for everyone here to make space for safe and constructive conversation tonight. So a little bit of housekeeping, thank you. I knew I was gonna forget the housekeeping part, just a powerful idea. I looked right at her, didn't I? Um when we scheduled this meeting and noticed it. Um we didn't know that the building closed at 7. And so there was an initial communication that went out that had us wait until 7:30. So our time is actually a little bit less than we had envisioned. Um, but I have a treat for you because it's almost supper time, right? Um, it's not happening in the room, but right at 7 o'clock, there's actually gonna be peace outside, and that's from me personally. So if you stick around until 7, if everybody does good job, then you'll all get pizza. There should be enough, there's actually gonna be plenty because I need to plan for a few more people. So uh we are gonna just dive right into the agenda and get things rolling. I see we have more than one person at every table, counting one, two, three, four, five, six, seven tables. Awesome. Uh what are we forgetting? Can we just dive on in? Okay. I want to say so much more, but I want to get you guys talking. So uh this is Isabella, she's gonna be helping me co-facilitate. We have two agenda items. First one's just an icebreaker, and it's just to get you guys talking at your tables. Um, we're not gonna report out on the icebreaker because I want to save our time to move our attention to the nuts and bolts of our workshop question, uh, which is to um help with the needs, defining the needs of public safety and well-being in Anchorage so that we can take that information and refine a really robust process for this task force. So I'm gonna turn it over to Isabella, she's gonna get you guys rolling on uh an icebreaker. We're gonna spend about five minutes getting to know each other at our tables, and then we're gonna get into the good stuff. Alright? Here you go. Thank you. Well, I'd like to echo Denaly's uh comments. I'll just thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate everyone taking the time to join us tonight.