City of Rochester, MN

10/02/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2025 12:35

Mayor and City Council Launch ‘Democracy Innovations for Better Public Meetings’ in Partnership with the National Civic League

Mayor Kim Norton and the Rochester City Council are excited to announce their participation in the "Democracy Innovations for Better Public Meetings" project, a collaboration with the National Civic League's (NCL) Center for Democracy Innovation. Funded by the AAA-ICDR Foundation, the project aims to make public meetings more engaging while strengthening the relationship between community members and local government.

Rochester is one of two new cities selected to pilot innovative practices for more productive, engaging, and civil public meetings, building on successful work in Boulder, Colorado; Mesa, Arizona; and Fayetteville, North Carolina.

"Rochester is proud to join this national initiative," said Mayor Norton. "We know public meetings are an essential part of our democracy, but they don't always reflect the voices or needs of the whole community. This project gives us an opportunity to try new strategies that make our meetings more engaging and impactful."

The project focuses on official public meetings. In Rochester, this includes meetings of the City Council and Boards & Commissions.

The project will include two primary research components:

  • Civic Engagement Scorecard - A digital tool allowing residents to evaluate and provide feedback on public meetings. The scorecard launched at the September 22, 2025, City Council meeting.

  • Civic Infrastructure Scan - A series of in-depth interviews and community-based research activities to understand how public meetings function and identify barriers and opportunities for engagement.

Throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, Rochester residents will have multiple opportunities to participate in surveys, meetings, and pilot projects. Based on the findings from the scorecards and infrastructure scan, the NCL will propose specific strategies for improving public meetings.

"We can only strengthen our public meetings if the community joins us in this effort," said City Council President Randy Schubring. "I encourage residents to take part in the scorecard, attend a forum, and share their perspectives so we can build a more inclusive and effective process together."

A second community meeting in early 2026 will present a full set of recommendations and provide another chance for public feedback.

Additional information can be found on the project website.

City of Rochester, MN published this content on October 02, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 02, 2025 at 18:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]