On May 11, during an otherwise ordinary meeting of the Finance Committee to discuss the 2022 Cambridge budget, a dispute erupted between City Manager Louis A. DePasquale and Councilor Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler, highlighting a common fault of conflict in Cambridge government.
Sobrinho-Wheeler suggested that, for the 2023 budget, the city conduct âtransparentâ and âmore engagingâ hearings with a longer timeline. He cited Bostonâs public working sessions, which allow the budget to change âaccording to the wills of the elected body.â
âI have to respond to that,â DePasquale interjected.
âThis is a city manager form of government, and as much as the council sometimes feels it isnât, it is,â DePasquale said. âYou either work with the city managerâs position, or you remove it and go to a different function, but you canât change the government that you have.â
Faster internet speed is headed to Yuma kyma.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kyma.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mayor Sundquist Forming Task Force on Bringing Municipal Fiber Network to Jamestown
Mayor
Eddie Sundquist is forming a Broadband Task Force to evaluate the potential for a municipal fiber network in Jamestown. Sundquist says there is no city in New York State that’s been able to roll out a municipal fiber network to homes and businesses,
“And with federal funding coming down the pipeline, both in
American Rescue Funds and infrastructure bills and other funding related to broadband we do want to see if that is feasible for the city and address the digital divides that are occurring.”
Sundquist said he had heard from a lot of residents who had issues when schools went remote because they didn’t have access to internet or couldn’t get connected due to past due bills. The mayor said anyone from the community who has an interest in serving on this committee may contact his office at (716) 483-7600.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
As policymakers at all levels of government turn their attention to expanding broadband access, a number of state successes could inform their efforts. Chief among these is Minnesota: The state has long been praised for its robust, multifaceted approach to broadband expansion, which includes the Governor’s Broadband Task Force, a diverse group of constituents charged with representing the interests of their communities.
Task force member Bernadine Joselyn is director of public policy and engagement for the Blandin Foundation, based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, which focuses on strengthening rural communities in the state. This interview with her has been edited for clarity and length.
What Policymakers Can Learn From the Minnesota Model of Broadband Expansion pewtrusts.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pewtrusts.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.