Francelis from Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) presenting to community members
On October 21, SAFE, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), Northshore CDC, and the City of Salem hosted its monthly community conversation at Espacio, bringing residents together to learn about neighborhood cooling strategies, explore ways to participate in local decision-making, and discuss how to strengthen community leadership in El Punto. The evening included a presentation on Cool the Block strategies, an introduction to participatory budgeting and ranked-choice voting, and an interactive voting activity that allowed attendees to put what they learned into practice. The gathering also created an opportunity for residents to discuss how they can work together to ensure their voices are heard in decisions affecting their neighborhood.
Learning About Community Decision-Making
Visual of potential resilience hubs in Salem from the Resilient Together, The Point_2022 Report
Participatory budgeting gives community members a direct role in deciding how public funds should be spent on projects that affect their neighborhoods. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates or options in order of preference rather than selecting only one. Both approaches can help communities explore different ways to participate in decision-making and shape local priorities. After the presentation, attendees took part in an interactive voting activity where they could practice what they had learned. The activity offered a hands-on way to explore these concepts and consider how community input can influence decisions.
Learning About Community Decision-Making
Image of programs intern and Alexandra Fortich at Salem Public Schools who supports translation and interpretation with SAFE.
One of the evening’s most important moments came when participants discussed whether they wanted to establish a committee dedicated to centering the voices and priorities of the El Punto community. Everyone voted in favor of creating the committee. The vote marked an encouraging step toward strengthening resident leadership and creating more opportunities for community members to help shape decisions affecting the neighborhood. By working together, residents can identify shared priorities, raise concerns, and help guide conversations about climate resilience and environmental health. Creating space for residents to organize and participate is an important part of building a more equitable and climate-resilient community.
Making Climate Conversations Accessible
SAFE’s community conversations are part of an ongoing series designed to make information about climate resilience, environmental health, and local decision-making more accessible to Salem residents. To ensure this, live translations were available for Spanish-speaking participants so they could follow the presentation, ask questions, and participate in discussions. Childcare was also available to help families attend and engage in the conversation.
The evening also included a delicious meal from El Poblano Taqueria, giving neighbors an opportunity to connect over food and conversation. Attendees participated in raffle giveaways featuring air monitors and air purifiers, offering additional opportunities to support awareness of indoor and outdoor air quality.
Join Us for the Next Community Conversation!
Please join us for our next community conversation which focus on the Climate Council and air quality updates! This will take place on November 23rd, 5:30-8:30pm at 96 Lafayette CDC Offices!
