Mayor expands weekly 'Chats with the Mayor' to library sessions as part of transparency push

Mayor Matt Zacher described a series of weekly outreach sessions—"Chats with the Mayor"—held at the library and other community locations to provide open, face-to-face conversation with residents. "The conversations themselves have been great," Zacher said, and the sessions are intended to separate personal attacks from policy debate and to let officials explain constraints like NDAs about business negotiations.

Zacher said the sessions usually start at 4:30 p.m. and may run into the evening to accommodate working residents. He emphasized that in-person dialogue helps counter misinformation and gives officials a chance to share factual information that might otherwise circulate secondhand on social media. The mayor asked attendees to bring specific questions or data so staff can respond with details; he said several sessions are already scheduled at the library and other venues.