Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly announced on Friday that the city will hold open office hours on a recurring monthly cadence under his administration, in response to overwhelming demand at the kickoff event.
The initial open office hours event was held on June 25, and provided residents with the opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings with the mayor’s office staff to share their concerns and needs.
The conversations in these meetings will serve as guideposts for the mayor’s planning and strategic direction for the city, and will help the Kelly Administration deploy the city’s resources more effectively by prioritizing residents’ needs, said officials.
“It’s clear that our residents truly want to engage and be engaged with, and the city is committed to working alongside our neighbors in our neighborhoods as we work to build a city that works for everybody,” Mayor Kelly said. “These conversations have led to some real action items for us, and I’m looking forward to more of these meetings at every community center around the city.”
The next mayor’s open office hours will be held on July 30 at the Hixson Community Center on 5401 School Drive, between 2-5 p.m.
The following mayor’s open office hours will take place on Aug, 26 at the South Chattanooga Community Center on 1151 West 40th St. between 4-7 p.m.
Attendees who make an appointment will be able to meet Mayor Kelly and participate in a one-on-one meeting with a member of his staff. Appointments must be requested ahead of time, either using an online portal at cha.city/openoffice or by calling 643-7814. Constituents must choose from a list of preferred 20-minute time slots, as well as provide their full name, address, best phone number, email, and reason for meeting.
Slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis and a member of the mayor’s staff will personally contact each constituent prior to the event to confirm and schedule their participation.