Thank you for telling us that I appreciate that.

Are you out of order?

I didn't know.

I look at my agenda, I'm looking all of that.

I mean, some things I don't want to do.

Okay.

I'm holding you accountable.

What the hell is this?

I call to order the civic engagement Toledo.

Community and administrative services committee.

Thank you.

Clerk, please call the road.

McPherson.

Here.

Gaddis.

Here.

Jones.

Here.

Kramer.

Here.

Williams.

Here.

All present.

Thank you.

Mary, could you tone us down?

Yes.

Please.

Thank you.

We have before us.

Thank you.

I went brain the sorry.

Miss Maloney.

Um the floor is yours.

Okay.

Thank you very much for having me.

Um Chief Whitman would have been here, but she had to go home sick.

And so it's you get me today.

Um, let's see.

Okay.

Uh, my name is Karen Maloney.

I'm the commissioner of civic engagement in the office of community services.

Um so the Office of Community Services uh focuses on the human infrastructure of the city and supports the city's community impact work to strengthen resident engagement, improve service delivery, expand access to opportunity, and enhance neighborhood outcomes.

Uh strategic plan priority would be to build safe, vibrant, and connected neighborhoods.

And that's a privilege to be here today.

So just a brief overview of Toledo's boards, the City of Toledo's boards and commissions.

There are currently, according to the BGSU CRD um analysis on the public engagement for Toledo's boards and commissions, there are 26 active commissions with the city.

Um currently members are appointed by the mayor, confirmed by council, um, and boards and commissions serve as our the primary mechanism for resident civic engagement with the city of Toledo.

There's over twenty inactive boards right now.

After questions arose about the role specifically of the Human Relations Commission and other commissions with similar missions, um, an RFP was created, and um Bowling Green State University Center for Regional Design was chosen to conduct an analysis on how the city engages with community through its boards and commissions.

Uh the analysis took place from August of 2025 through the end of the year, and the primary objectives of this analysis were to assess strategies for community engagement utilized by the city, evaluate the effectiveness and participation levels of the city's boards and commissions, identify barriers to engage and participate, engagement, barriers to engagement and participation within these structures, and provide recommendations.

I do have a couple copies, hard copies of that report if anyone wants it.

I know most of you have at least an electronic copy.

If you don't, I'd be more than happy to send that to you as well.

So included in the analysis were interviews with city liaisons.

City liaisons were City of Toledo staff that manage a certain board at the time of the study of the analysis.

There was also interviews with commission and board chairs, and there were 484 responses to a citywide survey, and then comparative best practice review.

So some of the findings that I will highlight today, public awareness about the role of boards and commissions and their work is low.

Only 12.8% were satisfied with the board, the work of City of Toledo boards and commissions, and only 8% know how to apply and serve on these boards.

So most residents don't know how to engage with these boards with these bodies.

There's also a significant participant participation gap.

When asked, when asked have you ever participated in a city of Toledo board or commission, the respondents only less than 7% said regularly, of the respondents said regularly.

So about a quarter said once or twice, and but but about 50% of the respondents said they want to participate.

So while nearly half of the residents who took the survey are open to participating, they don't.

So 63% of those that responded to the survey reported moderate or higher trust or higher trust in the work of City of Toledo commissions and boards, but only but 97% said the effectiveness of these boards were fairer or worse.

So they see potential for these bodies, but they don't see impact.

Many of the barriers identified when it comes to engaging with the city of Toledo via these bodies were 72% didn't know how to apply.

They identified a lack of information, a lack of time in order to serve, feeling unqualified to serve on these bodies, and then the feeling that their voice wouldn't matter.

So overall, what was concluded is that awareness is low when it comes to our boards and commissions.

The impact of our boards and commissions are unclear.

Those bodies that are meant for engagement is unclear.

Um recruitment is often done word of mouth, and communication between our between the community and our boards and commissions is siloed.

I would also argue that communication between our boards and commissions is siloed as well.

So like I identified, residents do want to serve.

70% say diverse representation on City of Toledo boards and commissions is very important, and 73% say investment in commissions is important.

So those of of those that responded to the survey.

So when asked what's important to them, residents want to prioritize when it comes to the work of boards and commissions, housing and neighborhood development, public safety and justice, economic development, and youth programming.

Engagement must align with both the City of Toledo priorities as well as the lived priorities of our residents.

So without reform, what we're gonna see is continued vacancies on our boards and commissions.

We're gonna see continued quorum failures, declining trust in these bodies.

We're gonna continue to see parallel systems doing duplicative work, and we're gonna have missed opportunity for civic renewal.

So I'm here today to talk about an evolution of civic engagement for the city of Toledo.

So engagement must evolve and shift from passive appointment systems, informal recruitment, meeting-based engagement towards transparent pathways to service, centralized volunteer management, digital visibility, and community building frameworks.

So with this, the Office of Community Services has four strategic recommendations.

One is a centralized civic engagement or centralized civic engagement for boards and commissions.

So this would mean an application portal for boards and commissions that the public can utilize, transparent vacancies that are updated regularly to reflect what's available, clear onboarding and standardized trainings.

Number two, we need to modernize our communication when it comes to our boards and commissions.

There, I would recommend a public dashboard of boards and commissions, social media integration for boards used as engagement mechanisms, hybrid meeting structures, and digital newsletters.

I'm trying to figure out what word we're using exactly, but elimination, what we'll use sunset.

I'm currently I'm currently working with the law department.

Taking a look at chapter 141 of Toledo Municipal Code, which is the boards and commissions chapter.

Um there, I will be coming in front of you probably closer to the mid-year adjustments for a code chain, a code addition, an addition to that code.

Right now, I think what would make sense for the system that I would like to set up and for what works for the city would be to add to that chapter an annual review of boards and commissions, which then would come in front of council with recommendations for sunsetting a border commission.

And so again, I will be coming in front of you for some potential additions to that code at mid-year.

If that's the route that you choose that we all choose to go, then I believe that that annual review would probably coincide at with the end of the year budget discussions, and then recommendations to be on the agenda for approval at the beginning of the year.

Consolidating duplicative missions within boards and commissions, and then aligning missions and goals to city strategic priorities.

Number four, create a clear pathway for residents to civically engage.

We already have a very robust ambassadors program.

The City of Toledo has utilized interns before.

It is something that I know that the Office of Community Services is working on currently as well.

Boards and commissions, specifically when it comes to the Human Relations Commission, and then the City of Toledo volunteer program, which I'm currently calling Serve Toledo or Serve TUL.

That is not set in stone.

If anyone has is creative and has better name for a volunteer program.

Let me know.

But that's what I'm calling it right now.

So those are the four uh strategic or strategic recommendations coming from the Office of Community Services.

So how does this look?

So in planning for modernization, um there would be a restructure and an absorbing of boards and commissions with duplicated missions underneath the Human Relations Commission, and I'm gonna show you a structure where I think that that would work.

There would also be a development of a City of Toledo volunteer program, and then code changes for boards and commissions with a comprehensive annual review and elimination criteria.

So this currently is the structure of what I would recommend for an evolution of the Human Relations Commission.

And of course, this is also going to come with some code changes that I'm anticipating would come before you again closer to the mid year.

But this structure we believe would make the Human Relations Commission the most effective, I think it would ever it's ever has been, and it would bring it to the neighborhood level, and it includes what I'm calling district connectors and then community connectors.

The district connectors serve as represent representatives of their districts, so districts one through six, and they would serve as the connection for this city to the district neighborhood groups, nonprofits, any ongoings of that specific district.

Then there are community connectors.

So this is where I believe the where we could take commissions with duplicative missions and bring them under an umbrella to be managed centrally, and that is through these community connectors.

So currently, what I would propose is four community connectors LGBTQIA plus connector group, a Latino Affairs connector group, a gender equity connector group, and a new American connector group.

These, and I'm I'm saying group, but again, they could be commission connector commissions if that's what we want to call them.

Some of these details have not been worked out.

I think that this allows for because one thing that we were we were seeing is that a commission would be set up and it would exist until it was defunct or dormant, and there would be no real end game to that commission, um, but what I think that we could do is is set up connector committees, groups, whatever commissions with among with it under this umbrella that would have a time limit to it.

This specific committee, this connector group is gonna be in existence for two years.

It's gonna the goal of this connector group is going to be accomplish these three goals in alignment with the city's priorities, um, and that would then allow for this to be a more of a living body, um, and it would also allow for committees and groups to come and go as needed.

Um at the end of the time frame that this group is in existence, this connector group is in existence, um, and the goals have been accomplished.

There would be a report to city council and to the administration, and then those who are leading that group would then not go away necessarily because what I'm proposing is then a robust volunteer pool that we would be able to pull from as needed.

Um the people in that specific connector group would then go back to that volunteer pool, become you know, be volunteers, be ambassadors for the city of Toledo, and then if we need to call upon them again and if they're willing to step up, lead another group maybe down the line for us.

Um, this would also allow for groups to be created under the HRC's umbrella.

So if there's a specific topic that has come up that you are hearing from your constituents that really needs to be looked at, and we think that it's something that our community could do or wants to do, we could create that connector group among underneath the Human Relations Commission and create have that be, you know, created, time limited, goal-driven, and then do the report and whatever we need them to do, and it just makes it more of a living, breathing body.

So, this is my proposal for the Human Relations Commission.

Obviously, like I said, it's gonna come with some code changes and some more discussion, but I do think that this could be a really effective body, and it would allow for a central management of these kinds of groups to be more efficient and to have them speaking to each other, talking to one another and have it be more streamlined.

Along with an evolved human relations commission, I would also propose that there would be a standardized, there would be standardized trainings for boards and commissions.

So a standardized onboarding, there would be, and that and those trainings would include onboarding, legal requirements, expectations, those trainings would include things like the city of Toledo's budget and what that means.

So just the standardized training for anyone who's going to be serving on a board or commission.

There would be mission alignment and strategic plans for individual commissions as needed and boards as needed.

Standardized meeting requirements, so agenda and minute templates for boards and commissions to utilize, reporting requirements via a portal, and then a toolkit for chairs.

How do you lead a commit a commission?

How do you lead a board?

How do you lead a committee?

And then standardized recruitment and appointments for boards and commissions.

Serve Toledo would serve as a volunteer pool, is what I kind of imagine it to be.

And this volunteer pool would include people who would be willing, wanting to civically engage with the city via a volunteer role for anything for everything from community events to a youth component.

Eventually, once this program is rolled out, I could see us adding a skills-based component to it, maybe even something at the neighborhood level, and then maybe even bringing in bringing in volunteers as needed on the administrative level.

So we like I mentioned, we have a number of ambassadors that I think that we could already tap into be trained as a City of Toledo volunteer and then to offer opportunities for them to engage civically with the city.

And then it would also take a robust recruitment strategy for new volunteers.

So it would go from recruitment to to standardized training to activation, and then of course we would need to acknowledge those volunteers, we would need to celebrate them.

I have provided for you the timeline of the development of this program.

Currently, you'll see that I'm in the purple, where I've been working with marketing and HR and law to figure out there's obviously when it comes to working with volunteers, risk and liability that needs to be worked out, and then HR as far as we need to make sure that our volunteers are not stepping on, you know, positions that are part of a union.

And so those are things all things that we're working on currently working on.

And then marketing is going to play a huge role with this as well when it comes to the recruitment of new volunteers.

And then the next step is to tap into the volunteers that we already have via our ambassadors and the 200 that we already use at this point, or that's um engage with us at this point.

Um my goal for the Serve Toledo volunteer program is to do a soft launch um in October with our pumpkin Palooza.

There is also the um uh forgive me, the um uh I it's a the name is escaping me, but there's another event that I want to staff launch in October as well.

Um so that's my goal for the program.

And then the thought would be if that goes successful, if that is successful, then we could hard hard launch if that's the word this in 2027, beginning in 2027.

Um, and with that, uh that is my that that is what the Office of Community Services is proposing for um, you know, the evolution of civic engagement when it comes to our boards and commissions and then of a new brand new volunteer program.

So I'm I'm more than happy to take your questions, comments, if you have ideas.

I'm always open for discussion.

So thank you.

Thank you for that robust report.

Um I'll save my questions for last.

Council member Gaddis.

Thanks, Chair.

Uh this is very cool and innovative, and you're putting a lot of work into that.

So thank you.

I think it has a lot of potential.

Um I do have some questions.

Uh first of all, I think the dashboard is necessary.

I I look at a lot of other cities, and all their other commissions and boards list their notes, their active notes, so even if you can't make a meeting, you know what's going on.

And I couldn't, I couldn't tell you which ones are inactive in our city because there's no notes anywhere.

There's no way to follow the trail to know there's so I understand why our citizens say they don't they don't know about them.

So I think a dashboard is is necessary.

I love how thorough you thought things out.

Um I did have a question on the setup.

You had the district connectors and the community connectors.

Um the district connectors, you said surveying to the district neighborhoods.

Will those ambassadors be fed from Jenny's program, the ambassador program.

Yes, and thank you.

That that would be uh a requirement in order to be a mayor-appointed human relations commission connector would be to have to have gone through the ambassadors program.

Okay, and then the community connectors.

Um, so maybe I don't understand.

We're gonna take all of the active boards, do away with them and reform them under.

Okay, no, no, only the ones, um, and thank you.

Think I should have been more only the ones with duplicative missions.

So those are the ones that we've identified would be um Latino Affairs currently and gender equity at currently that exist, um, and then I know that there was discussion of an LGBTQI plus commission.

So we would we would absorb that into but um into the human relations commission.

So missions that are commissions that would have like missions that align with the human relations commission.

So more humanities whereas, exactly the science, the tree people, the sustainability, they're gonna be exactly outside of this the boards of control, you know, those those would not be a part of a human relations commission.

Okay, that's that thank you.

That helps me understand it.

Um with the changes that are being made, and I know that I I made mention about the LGPT.

Thank you for including that, but I'd love to see something that um and maybe it's a duplicate for the county, I'm not sure, but with accessibility uh now that the disabled community is under attack.

Um I think that that might be something that's uh important in this.

And then I love the idea for a toolkit for chairs and like boards 101.

Um, I had done volunteer work for Epic Toledo, and I don't know if that's a good partnership for you, but they have training and and they have everything.

They actually offer it twice a year.

Um, so that I don't that might be a really good partnership there.

I would definitely look at I don't know who's leading it currently, but there I think they would be a good resource.

So thank you for this.

I'm super excited.

I think this is gonna be really good.

Um, thanks, Chair.

Thank you for that.

Council Woman Kramer.

Thank you, Chair.

And thank you so much for this uh report.

Um, I think this is really fantastic and a great way to get citizens involved.

Um I also love the training component.

I was on a county board, I was on the Citizens Levy Review Committee, and I was appointed, and then I just sat down and they expected me to know everything what to do, and I had no idea what I was doing.

So it was a learn as you go situation.

Um, so I think that is great.

The training is really great.

Um, in terms of the cost of rolling something like this out, do you know what the cost will be?

And then do you also is that already in the budget?

Like talk to me about the budget.

So as far as so that's a great question.

I have not looked at specific costs for a volunteer program, and I really think the the big cost of a volunteer program is gonna be that risk management.

There might be an insurance.

Um I'm currently working with the law department on an insurance piece to see if that's the route that we need to go in order to make sure our volunteers are protected and safe.

Um, and so that would be a big cost.

I I don't anticipate that that would be more than a couple thousand dollars.

Um then I think the next piece would be recognition of our volunteers.

So I would ideally like to see, you know, some kind of banquet at the end of the year where we recognize our, you know, our the people who put in the most hours and things like that.

Um so I think that that would be another cost to this program.

Um and then with the volunteer program, there would also be a cost to um an online management portal, um, and that would be about uh $3,500 as well.

Um, so I anticipate that any price that comes with this volunteer program in particular will be less than 10,000, not a whole lot to begin with.

Um when it comes to boards and commissions.

I I believe that the cost main cost would be you know, my my time, obviously, but then also printing of material and things like that.

I don't anticipate a large price tag to it.

Yeah, okay, very cool.

Um, I think my last question is in terms of recruitment of volunteers, is there a target kind of demographic?

Because I can definitely see my mom is retired and older, and I'm immediately I was like, oh, she would love this, and her friends will love it, but I also feel like it's important to have a diversity of um people that are uh in this.

So, how do we get the word out to the right folks?

That's a great question.

And that's something that I need to work with marketing on.

And and that's what I I want to do.

I want to make sure that we're we're hitting every corner of our city because people want to serve, and there's different ways.

If you look on uh slide the slide about the diverse volunteer pool, there's different ways that people can engage with the city.

Um if they aren't able to do uh a community cleanup, for example, there might be an administrative role for them.

So I think it's gonna be really important to make sure that our recruitment is is diverse and that everyone feels like they can be a part of it.

Um what I anticipate is that when we went so the recruitment would be one a strategy, obviously, and then what would happen is that the different divisions would come to me and they would say, I have this thing that I need help with.

I don't have this, I don't have the person power.

Um, would volunteer be able to do that, and then I would work with HR to develop some kind of it's probably would look like it would it would look like a job description, um, and then with the management portal that I've been looking for, looking at, um, I would be able to take our volunteers and check all the things we're looking for and get the eight that fit that criteria, um, and then send them the uh service opportunity and see if they would like to do it.

Um, or with this management portal as well, you could just create an event.

You know, we have pumpkin balloons, we have a we have the um, you know, uh an event coming up, um, and we need people to do takedown is and set set up and takedown.

Um, you create the event and open it up to all of your volunteers and see if who is available that day and wants to come.

Um, so there's a way for us to be very strategic about who's being asked to serve in certain roles and why um especially uh because we're gonna want to be um and there's gonna be a background check component to it especially if they're you know working with small children things like that so all of these details to be worked out but I have you know it's definitely something that can be done where your mother would be able to to serve um for the city of sleep up yeah yeah okay well thank you I mean you have answers for everything so that's very well thought out so I appreciate it.

Council member Dr.

Brittany Jones.

Obviously I'm not councilman Sarantu so um I well first of all I'm glad that this that you've taken the initiative and really looking through just our records and in our boards and commissions because I think that that should be applied to a lot of the departments here especially when it comes to older material and and just um systems and things of that nature so I really commend you on on doing that I did have a question regarding the actual structure um you know when it comes to the district aspect of it I know they have to be ambassadors but are with the prioritization say the uh like a president of a neighborhood group or something because then you would have to build that trust within that district and if they don't know who you are how would that how would that work um and then the other question as far as the community connectors some of the I know he said time limited but some of these goals can be very big especially just like with gender equity and just all of the groups that are under attack right now so how would you determine basically how long or what should be taken on as a community connector because I know that they revolve out but some of these goals can be very very big and very time consuming and I don't know if like two three years can really appease to it so like what are some of those metrics so those are my two questions for right now.

And then also a comment for the serve Toledo I was also thinking like you know partnering I don't know if you talked with United Way because they're really building their volunteer base I was also thinking of looking at the high schools especially if they have volunteer hours they could serve and that they can get their exposure to just city government as well and that would also go with college as far as those groups are concerned um too and then um of course we're already pushing throughout the city but I'll just think like the other groups just like councilwoman Kramer was talking about volunteers will attract a certain demographic and so we're trying to diversify that so kind of meet them where they're at um but those were just some of the ideas that just came to mind even like an epic Toledo I know that they have like a youth component to that leadership Toledo it's a lot of different ways especially if they have to have volunteer hours.

So I think that will definitely help out a lot and just the way that you're thinking of the outreach that's up to date with what how we would need to do it but if you can just like clarify a little bit with within the connectors portion that will help too sure.

So the idea for the connectors came from a connections model that we identified um when we were looking at the human relations commission was looking at the Blockwatch specifically which is more to come on Block Watch um but um and so the the idea of a connect the connections model is that you identify you are identify the people who are already leading you that and they serve as your connectors your energy sources that are already leading so I can already think of like four people that I know could serve as a connector for us representing their districts because they already run a very successful maybe neighborhood group or are very vocal and have stepped up to to represent their district or their neighborhood.

So that's how and and I obviously I think city council plays a big role in that too, with especially with those that um represent the districts, that you know who your leaders are in your your district.

So I think that that's how we identify who would serve in those roles.

Um and they would I want to tap into what are I don't want to reinvent the week like we need to tap into who already is mobilized and um energetic and those serve as our connectors.

I would even say if you can probably put a nomination component to it, um, because that could broaden a lot up.

Um, you know, we continuously see the same players, and I know that you have specifically specify, you know, those who are coming up, so in order to make it fair per se, maybe a nominations model could work per district, um and then you would add the extra other components.

So are they you know ahead of an organization?

Maybe that's a point and things like that.

So I think that will probably go around easier because you know how to lead or you know how we are, you know.

Who are you?

Why are you in this position, things of that nature?

So I think that could help a little bit with choosing who would be the representation of the different districts, and then for the community connectors, how are you determining what can be done within a certain time?

Um so the metrics, I think that it's at it as a need on a needs basis.

Um and I think that it's I think it's like I said, a like a living body that you know we could modify as needed.

So for example, with the gender equity commission, if we give it a time frame and we get to that the end of that time frame and we realize it's they still have a lot of work to do.

Um or there's more more issues have come up, which seems to be the case nowadays, right?

Um then that body looks on, it continues.

Okay, and we modify as needed.

That's what I was expecting.

Um, and so I'm a so definitely is more of it's an advocacy piece too.

So I would also include, you know, talking to some state legislators as well, um, getting them involved a little, just especially when it comes to legislation coming down.

Yes, we have our federal, but as far as those who are more accessible, that can help garner a little bit more of these goals.

Cause like I said these can be very, very difficult to achieve in a certain amount of time, but leading at least getting that advocacy role and the information needed, it can help uh clarify next steps, you know, when you're getting to that expiration date, okay.

Well, we have this, so now we can you know go on for another two years, but we're just gonna focus on this because maybe that legislation or something has a timeline too.

So just trying to make sure that um you know, kind of being reasonable as far as what can be accomplished and with the time that is available for them, uh those who are serving as well.

So, but other than that, I think that this will definitely be like a very helpful.

It I think is more engaging than how things have been because I've come across people asking how how they get on boards and things like that, and it seems more open um and and and easier to get involved.

So I'm I'm definitely excited.

Um you said you shared the report electronically.

I if I if you don't have it, I can send it to you, otherwise I do have a hard copy as well.

Well, we're trying to save papers, so you can send it to me electronically.

I will.

But um either way, just you know, thank you for all the work when it comes to just what you do and then human relations and things of that nature.

I think that is um very much an asset to to the city and and human relations.

So, but um, other than that, I yield my time.

I have to go, but thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I have a couple of questions.

And by I've already filled up my referral by referral, can I get a list of the 20 inactive boards and a list of the 26 active commissions?

And what is a new American?

A new American would be our newcomers, or anyone who is a new American who has recently become an American citizen, literally, or I would even say anyone with an immigrant status would also fall under that category.

Okay.

Okay, we might want to turn that some.

I was like, new American.

What is new American?

Okay.

So specifically, when I created that specific committee or group, um, we the city of Toledo is currently going through the well, we are we are all welcoming city through the national nonprofit welcoming America, and I think a goal for that committee would be to help um with that certification process and gathering evidence um and um seeing that certification through.

So that would be already a goal for that group.

And representing the city of Toledo on the welcome the welcome Toledo Lucas County advisory board that is housed within the Lucas County Public Library.

Okay, okay.

Makes sense now.

I was like, New American.

I was saying to myself.

Well, nobody else asking that question but me.

I know.

You have a smart group up here.

Um the other question I had, um, because we have so many different boards, and thank you for doing this and you and Dr.

Whitman um for putting this all together.

Um I like the serve Toledo volunteer program.

Okay, because within the city we have a we do have a lot of events where we need volunteers, and it would be a great, it would be great to have that pool.

Um just like now I'm getting ready for a jazz fest.

We always go out and hey, we need volunteers.

It would be great to be able to say, oh, just reach out to Maloney and she'll get you, you know, your volunteers.

We've got a pool already set up.

So that is that I like that.

Um I like utilizing our ambassadors because they put so much time in in going around and learning and taking the classes, and then it's like what do we do now that we graduated?

Right, you know, and I I use a lot of them, but it's like okay, where do they go from here?

So utilizing them and putting them almost like kind of like in the leadership role because they have been trained and they now know the city, the departments of the city and all of that, that is excellent.

I am too um, like council member Gaddis, I am excited about this because even though council approves a lot of the boards because the mayor gives a recommendation, I see a lot of recycling.

And where they may serve on another board and now we're putting them on this board, and we never hear from the boards and what they're actually doing or what they've done, other than human relations board because we see them out in a lot of different events.

I I am excited about that because um, and I've shared this with um a couple of the new directors and commissioners, that we need to start looking at we need to go further out and looking at persons that have potential, but because they don't know, I asked the gentleman about being on a board, and he said, Well, how do you how do you do that?

Good question, because I didn't know.

I said, good question.

I don't know.

Let me let me check into that and see.

So that is a source where we do need to have it out there some on a portal somewhere, so when it comes time for these boards, oh, just go here and fill out put your resume in, da da da, ABC, and they'll know.

I think some of us know, and those that know are the ones that's reaching out to get those persons to serve on boards, and that's why it needs to be a broader.

So I I'm not gonna go any further.

I thank you.

Um, sorry that um Dr.

Whitman was not able to come, but we hope that she is feeling better, and you know, if there's anything that we can do um to help, and a part of this is our mayor, young mayor in young council.

This is a part of that also, right?

Yes, cool.

Well, and that's kind of you kind of talk about this.

Um, I I forgive me, I forget exactly what you said, but it made me think about this these the ideas that I presented to you today are opportunities for you become a volunteer.

Well, then you want to become even more involved.

You become a mayor appointed commission member.

Well, maybe then you become an employee of the city of Toledo.

It's a it all works together.

You kid mayor becomes this becomes, and we are creating a workforce.

Exactly.

And that's what I try to do with mentoring.

And when you come in and shadow me, and I'm I'm trying to build a council force.

So it it is necessary that we do that.

And we have to engage our young people, and so I appreciate that part with the kids' council.

Because that last group has some great questions for council members.

So we have to equip the citizens of Toledo so that they can feel a part of this.

Right.

Because they actually are, but the disconnect, and so this is this is the connectors.

So thank you for the report.

Is there anybody from the audience that has a question or comment?

Speak now, forever hold your peace.

Anybody else from council?

If so, we're gonna call this meeting adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.