For one night only, Akron鈥檚 House Three Thirty was turned into a lottery game show 鈥� complete with bright lights, balloons, silly sound effects and a vibrant jazz band. The prize? An opportunity for citizens to work together to create change and address housing issues in the city.
Unify Akron, a branch of a focused on problem-solving and engaging people in democracy, hosted the event to kick off the city鈥檚 first-ever civic assembly Thursday.
Out of the 584 residents who entered the lottery, 65 were selected.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more grateful that there is a city like Akron, Ohio, to plant the flag for an enlightened American democracy,鈥� said Harry Nathan Gottlieb, founder of Unify America. 鈥淧eople 鈥� whose hearts long for a community and country, where we see one another as neighbors, as fellow Americans. I鈥檒l tell you what: here in Akron, we are going to show America what that looks like.鈥�
The civic assembly delegates will spend 10 weeks researching and deliberating housing issues, according to Unify Akron. They鈥檒l read reports, hear from experts and discuss their own experiences.
They'll eventually vote on solutions and present them to Mayor Shammas Malik, City Council and other elected officials.
Malik and city council members have pledged to implement the delegates鈥� ideas, Malik said.
鈥淲e are committed to, in one shape or another, taking action and putting these ideas and actions into budgets and into law,鈥� Malik said.
The delegates will meet nine times between March and May. They鈥檒l be paid a $1,000 stipend for their time, with transportation, child care, meals and language support available, said Morgan Lasher, an Akron resident and chief of U.S. Democracy Leagues at Unify America.
鈥淭his is like 10, 11 weeks of depth, which you just don鈥檛 get that level of shared knowledge in a lot of our current American public convenings,鈥� Lasher said.
Over the past month, community organizers have been reaching out to residents across Akron to get a demographically representative sample of the city.
They collected data on age, race, gender, political affiliation, neighborhood, income level and housing situation in order to generate samples of a 鈥渕iniature Akron,鈥� Lasher said.
Unify Akron used a random selection software called Panelot to generate 1,000 of these representative samples.
The groups were then narrowed down to six samples after three children picked numbered rubber ducks out of fish bowls.
Seven-year-old Aniyah Ware rolled a final dice to pick which sample of Akronites would serve in the assembly.
鈥淧anel 085, you will be the first-ever civic assembly delegates!鈥� event emcee and Unify America volunteer Dominique Waters said. "Come on, stand up for that!鈥�
Goodyear Heights resident Michael Jarzenski was one of the delegates selected. He was surprised to see his group number called.
鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 trying to make sure I can mathematically work it into my own schedule, because I want to be part of it,鈥� Jarzenski said. 鈥淚 want to see Akron grow, and I want to see this housing community be put together as to where everyone benefits from it.鈥�
Jarzenski owns two businesses: Merriman Valley Pizza and Feel Good BBQ, a food truck. He鈥檚 excited to offer his perspective as a small business owner to the group.
鈥淚 might be able to bring a different kind of aspect to that housing, while also possibly seeing it from a business standpoint,鈥� Jarzenski said. 鈥淲e want to bring businesses to Akron, we want to bring housing to Akron 鈥� all of it can thrive together.鈥�
Gottlieb, founder of Unify America and creator of video game company Jackbox Games, said Akron is the perfect place for the civic assembly model.
鈥淭he civic energy in Akron was palpable as soon as I got here, the first time,鈥� Gottleib said. 鈥淭he mayor has committed to giving updates every six months on progress on affordable housing for two and a half years. These are unprecedented commitments. And the legislature 鈥� also committing to a transparent process of reviewing. I mean, you can鈥檛 ask for more cooperation from government.鈥�
He hopes to replicate the program in other cities.
鈥淩eally invent a new democratic institution, that is going to be as ubiquitous in American towns and cities and states as public libraries,鈥� Gottlieb said, 鈥淲e are going to move from what we have today which is a political democracy, where we make political decisions to a deliberative democracy where we make decisions together, talking to each other.鈥�
The civic assembly will have its opening ceremony on March 13.
Ideas that reach a majority vote at the end of the 10-week session will be submitted for legislation to be considered by City Council.
