A. 
The purpose of this chapter is to complement Chapters 3.21 (Readily Accessible Electronic Meeting Notices, Agendas and Records) and 3.22 (Public's Right to Be Heard on Warrant Articles) with a formal Community Engagement Plan (CEP) for the Town of Brookline.
B. 
Community engagement is essential for a robust and transparent community because it fosters more meaningful interactions between the Town and its inhabitants, frequently enables greater agreement among all stakeholders, and creates true ownership across the Town.
C. 
The Town of Brookline has a responsibility to engage its inhabitants in a robust and equitable manner in order to effectively carry out the key functions of government, such as crafting and implementing laws, budgets, plans, directives, and strategic visions.
D. 
At a minimum, the purpose of the Community Engagement Plan is to:
(1) 
Engage community inhabitants and community resources as part of the solution.
(2) 
Engage the broader diversity of the community, especially inhabitants who have not been engaged in the past, including, without limitation, the poor, people of color, disabled and other politically disenfranchised groups.
(3) 
Increase public understanding of and support for public policies and programs.
(4) 
Increase the legitimacy and accountability of government actions.
(5) 
Ensure that the Town proactively and more effectively responds to the needs and priorities of its inhabitants.
For purposes of this by-law, the definitions set forth in Chapter 1.1, Section 1.1.4, of the Town's General By-laws shall apply, the most relevant being the definitions of "committee," "inhabitant," and "municipal officer."
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations will develop the initial CEP and prepare it for public use, with input from the Commission for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations and other departments and entities as appropriate.
A. 
The Community Engagement Plan shall include, at minimum:
(1) 
Guidelines that are consistent with the best practices for municipal community engagement.
(2) 
Indicators that provide qualitative and/or quantitative information that can be used to determine if the Town is implementing community engagement practices improving over time. Indicators shall be:
(a) 
"SMART": specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely;
(b) 
Developed for each department and committee;
(c) 
Reported on at least annually in the budget report for departments, and on the respective web page for departments and committees.
(3) 
A formal CEP evaluation process. On an annual basis, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations shall submit to Select Board, Town Meeting members and the general public an analysis of the previous year's community engagement programming and outcomes and provide recommendations for improving the CEP itself, as well as the programming. The relevant results of said evaluation shall be included in the performance/reappointment review for each municipal officer.
B. 
The CEP shall be structured so as to not conflict with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 30A, § 18 through 25.
Barring an extension to this effective date by Town Meeting through subsequent action, the Community Engagement Plan shall take effect by June 1, 2020.