Governor-elect Deval Patrick, through his transition-oriented working groups, has scheduled a series of issues-focused "community meetings" across the state. The first took place last Friday, including one focused on higher education at the UMass-Amherst campus. Of these efforts to formulate an agenda, the transition team writes:
These meetings are a tremendous opportunity for anyone to come and participate in shaping the direction of our government. Each Community Meeting will be hosted by one or more of the fifteen working groups created to help shape the new administration’s policy agenda. They need your input to make the administration a success.
Today, there are evidently six such meetings taking place: three in Boston, two in Worcester, and one in Springfield, at Western New England College, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in Rivers Memorial Hall. The meeting will focus on budget and finance.
Other upcoming meetings scheduled in the city include one focused on health care, Thursday, December 7, at 10:00 am at STCC’s Scibelli Hall Theater. On Wednesday, December 13, at 10:00 am, a meeting focused on workforce development is scheduled to take place at IBEW Local 7, 185 Industry Avenue.
A meeting about human services will take place tomorrow, December 5, at 9:00 am, at the Holyoke Health Center. Also tomorrow, on the same subject, a meeting at 1:00 pm will take place at the Garden House in Northampton’s Look Park. A meeting focused on housing is slated for tomorrow evening, 5:30 pm, at HCC’s Kittredge Center.
A meeting about economic development is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, 5:30 pm, also at the Kittredge Center. A meeting on local government will take place Monday, December 11, 6:30 pm, at North Middle School in Westfield. Lastly for the western Massachusetts meetings scheduled so far, a meeting is planned for Tuesday, December 12, 7:00 pm, at Lenox‘s Town Hall, 6 Walker Street, focusing on energy and environment.
