Tuesday evening, folks from this coalition of Northfield area residents, high school students and college students and CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) presented to Northfield City Council and asked them to adopt this resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution was not on the agenda. There were approximately 50 people there in support and 13 speakers.
The Mayor and Council Members were courteous and professional in welcoming the Public Comments on the resolution. The Mayor began the public comments with the following statement:
"City council members and staff have recently received a request to place a resolution on our agenda in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
While we recognize and respect that this is an issue of great significance to the citizens who have made this request, it is a practice in our city to not consider items that do not directly impact the city's policies, programs, services or budgets and/or are outside the governance jurisdiction of the City Council.
We appreciate the efforts of the individuals who have reached out to City Council members, Board and Commission members and City staff.
We encourage citizens to continue to reach out to us on topics of importance and to share your thoughts and petitions with State and Federal elected officials as well."
In the video of of the meeting, the Public Comments begin just after minute 18. We could not have asked for a better and more varied set of speakers if we had tried. Everyone spoke with compassion and courage and sent a clear message that adopting this resolution is within the jurisdiction of the Northfield City Council.
Council Members seemed moved by what was said. There is more work to do but this outpouring of compassion and speaking truths that need to be heard will make the next steps easier.
To help in this effort:
- Continue to share this petition
- If you have a personal relationship with the Mayor and/or Council Members, reach out to them and advocate for the passage of a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza
- SAVE THE DATE: Northfield City Council Meeting --Tuesday, April 2, 2024
If you have questions or concerns, I can be reached at jdhartley1@aol.com or 781-248-7180.
With deep thanks,
Jenny Hartley