City Council Chronicles

When we visit the small Kansas city of Colby, we listen to the Rotary meeting, go through a tornado drill, and stop by the hospital to find out the best and worst things. This is a special episode in an occasional series about towns and cities. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman, Twitter: @benwasserbad

Raquel Castañeda-López--Detroit, MI council member--talks about staying professional while Detroit public commenters complain about serious, dangerous problems. Then, she addresses attendance issues at meetings and explains her oatmeal preparation technique. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad.

Ryan Spiegel--Gaithersburg, MD council member--deconstructs an incredible moment in city council history: the sabotage of a council meeting by a fellow council member. How did Spiegel react? We find out in the gripping play-by-play. Plus, roosters! City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad.

Mary Deros--Montreal, QC councilor--sings with me! Plus, we talk about how Montreal's public comment is very different from that of most cities, and how the city council can function with so many political parties. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad.

We visit Vail, Colorado and ask: what is the best thing and what is the worst thing about this place? Five residents and a historian share their perspective. This is a special episode in an occasional series about towns and cities. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman, Twitter: @benwasserbad

Bev Esslinger--Edmonton, AB councilor--discusses her reaction to the Canadian Supreme Court's decision banning prayer from city council meetings. She also talks about one meeting that was disrupted by protesters and listens to my poem about Edmonton. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad. Jazz bass by Adam Ben Ezra https://www.facebook.com/AdamBenEzra/.

Michael Karlik declares that the state of our city council meetings is strong. Excerpts from the Hackensack, NJ dramatic reading and interviews of Lauren Meister, Lan Diep, Kristen Larson, Andy Richardson, Helen Rosenthal, Charles Djou, David Chiu, Regina Hill, and John Taylor Chapman. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad

Lan Diep--San Jose, CA councilman--was sworn in holding a Captain America shield and his story went around the world. He talks about his best council friends, a contentious first meeting involving the Vietnamese flag, and what kind of superhero he'd be. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad. Voiceovers provided by Arwen Fonzen (@Arwentweets), Maurice Licorish (@LicorishIsLegit), and Sam Bourne (@SamBourneHAHA). The superhero story was written by Patrick J. Reilly (@NotPatReilly).

Can one city councilman save the people of San Jose from a dastardly villain? Listen and find out! The characters were performed by Arwen Fonzen (@Arwentweets), Maurice Licorish (@LicorishIsLegit), and Sam Bourne (@SamBourneHAHA). The story was written by Patrick J. Reilly (@NotPatReilly). This is an excerpt from Episode 23. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad.

Scott Neal--Edina, MN city manager--plays "At the Desk" and shows me how to do his job. This is an excerpt from Episode 23. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad

Scott Neal--Edina, MN city manager--talks about his popular YouTube series, "On the Job." We discuss his visit to England and what he learned about the city councils there. Also, we hear from a contentious public comment period about policing. City Council Chronicles provides reviews of city council meetings from across the United States and Canada. Named a "Top 100 Local Government Influencer" in 2016 by ELGL.org. Link: https://councilchronicles.com/ Twitter: @michaelkarlik Music by http://www.bensound.com/. Graphic by Ben Wasserman @benwasserbad Link to "On the Job": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tptGisn5WSU&list=PLlz4oOYMFxF9zz9ImrHQV3VjymwdjzKFx