Talk Over Tea

20. Increasing Public Awareness of Public Transit

Joined by Noah Berger, Administrator of MeVa, the Regional Transit Authority for the greater Merrimack Valley, Kassandra and Claudel learn with you about public transit in our neighborhoods. As MeVa celebrates their 50th Anniversary, they have raised the bar for service, gone fare free, increased ridership, adjusted fixed routes, grown staffing, and more in just the last few years. Listen to this episode to hear more about how to ride the bus and encourage others to do the same, as well as the next big thing for MeVa, and Amesbury.

19. It Takes a Village

Kassandra and Claudel have shared with you why diverse experiences help build good government and better communities. In this episode they will share how City Councilors reflecting on what they would need to support their civic engagement turned around and made that available for Amesbury residents during an important public meeting. How could you help make your community more family friendly?

18. Building Trust through Communication

The City of Amesbury developed a new brand for their voice and visual communications. Kassandra and Claudel will discuss the importance of an established brand and how it impacts the way stakeholders identify factual and authentic correspondence. In a time of information overload, cutting through the noise is a constant challenge. Hear from them about where they see value and where they struggle the most. Together we must strengthen trust in local government, the level of government closest to the people, and we can do that through communication.

17: Municipal Empowerment Act

It’s March Madness in the world of local and state government. Kassandra shares a piece of legislation making its way through Beacon Hill that’s important to cities and towns in Massachusetts. Since this episode was filmed a bill extending remote meeting laws has been approved, moving the expiration to 2027. Otherwise, tune in to hear more about the Municipal Empowerment Act (MEA) and the ways it could provide municipalities with new and updated tools to meet their needs - from utilities and purchasing to revenue and regionalization. The MEA Portal is available online at https://www.mass.gov/municipal-empowerment-act [https://www.mass.gov/municipal-empowerment-act].

16: AMA with Claudel

In this episode Kassandra interviews Claudel. Take this opportunity to get to know a City Councilor in a new way. She keeps Claudel on his toes with questions that are personal and professional. Learn more about his habits, motivations, favorite things, and family recipes. Something you won’t find out about him on google… well, you’ll have to listen.