OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Toledo Civic Engagement Committee Meeting on Boards and Commissions Reform - May 28, 2026

City Council — Thursday, May 28, 2026
BodyToledo, Ohio
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, May 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 46:44
Transcript — Verbatim
1:22

Thank you for telling us that I appreciate that.

2:04

Are you out of order?

2:11

I didn't know.

2:14

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

2:17

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

2:19

Okay.

2:20

I'm holding you accountable.

2:25

What the hell is this?

2:29

I call to order the civic engagement Toledo.

2:34

Community and administrative services committee.

2:38

Thank you.

2:40

Clerk, please call the road.

2:42

McPherson.

2:43

Here.

2:44

Gaddis.

2:45

Here.

2:46

Jones.

2:46

Here.

2:47

Kramer.

2:48

Here.

2:49

Williams.

2:49

Here.

2:50

All present.

2:51

Thank you.

2:52

Mary, could you tone us down?

2:56

Yes.

2:57

Please.

2:59

Thank you.

3:01

We have before us.

3:08

Thank you.

3:08

I went brain the sorry.

3:11

Miss Maloney.

3:12

Um the floor is yours.

3:14

Okay.

3:15

Thank you very much for having me.

3:16

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

3:21

And so it's you get me today.

3:23

Um, let's see.

3:25

Okay.

3:26

Uh, my name is Karen Maloney.

3:28

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

3:33

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.

3:47

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

3:53

And that's a privilege to be here today.

3:57

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

4:03

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.

4:14

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.

4:27

There's over twenty inactive boards right now.

4:33

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.

4:54

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.

5:19

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

5:24

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

5:26

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

5:31

So included in the analysis were interviews with city liaisons.

5:36

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

5:46

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

5:59

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

6:10

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.

6:23

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

6:27

There's also a significant participant participation gap.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████████████████████████████96%
Procedural█2%
Zoning and Planning█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Toledo Civic Engagement Committee Meeting on Boards and Commissions Reform - May 28, 2026

The Civic Engagement, Toledo Community and Administrative Services Committee met on May 28, 2026, to receive a presentation from Commissioner Karen Maloney on the evolution of civic engagement, including a comprehensive analysis of the city's boards and commissions and a proposal for a new volunteer program, Serve Toledo. Council members discussed the findings and recommendations, with no formal votes taken.

Discussion Items

  • Presentation by Commissioner Karen Maloney: Maloney presented findings from a study conducted by Bowling Green State University's Center for Regional Design from August to December 2025. Key statistics include: 26 active commissions, 20 inactive boards; only 12.8% of residents satisfied with board work; 8% knew how to apply to serve; less than 7% participated regularly; 50% wanted to participate; 63% had moderate or higher trust; 97% rated effectiveness as fair or worse; 72% did not know how to apply; 70% said diverse representation is very important; 73% said investment in commissions is important.
  • Strategic Recommendations: Maloney outlined four recommendations: (1) centralized civic engagement with an application portal, transparent vacancies, and standardized onboarding; (2) modernized communication including a public dashboard, social media integration, hybrid meetings, and newsletters; (3) sunsetting or consolidating duplicative commissions, working with the law department to amend Chapter 141 of Toledo Municipal Code to include annual review and elimination criteria; (4) creating a clear pathway for residents through an ambassadors program and the new volunteer program "Serve Toledo."
  • Proposed Human Relations Commission Structure: Under the umbrella of the Human Relations Commission, Maloney proposed district connectors (one per district, representing neighborhood groups) and community connectors (time-limited, goal-driven groups for LGBTQIA+, Latino Affairs, gender equity, and new Americans). Connectors would be required to complete the ambassadors program. Terms and goals would be evaluated periodically.
  • Councilmember Questions and Input: Councilmembers Gaddis, Kramer, Jones, and the Chair asked about costs, recruitment diversity, the inclusion of disability access, partnerships with Epic Toledo and United Way, youth engagement, and the definition of "new American." Maloney estimated the volunteer program cost under $10,000, with risk management and a management portal ($3,500) as main expenses. She planned a soft launch in October 2026 at Pumpkin Palooza and a hard launch in 2027.

Key Outcomes

  • No votes or formal decisions were taken. The committee received the presentation and discussed the proposals.
  • Commissioner Maloney will return closer to mid-year adjustments with code amendments for boards and commissions.
  • Council requested a list of inactive and active boards and commissions.
  • The Serve Toledo volunteer program is set to soft launch in October 2026, with a full launch in 2027.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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