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.