The Assembly’s process
The Deliberation begins with a shared goal, which was established after discussions with Montrose residents, business leaders, experts, and officials starting in February 2023 and finalizing the language in June 2023.
The Unify Montrose shared goal is this: Every parent and guardian in Montrose shall have access to dependable, safe, affordable, and enriching childcare options so they can work, attend school, or otherwise contribute to our community.
Starting at the end of August 2023, Delegates will meet in small groups of eight over the next twelve weeks. One group of eight will have its sessions conducted in Spanish, and the other seven groups will be conducted in English.
The Delegates will deliberate, weighing the pros and cons of a variety of actions that could help achieve the goal. Once they have prioritized those actions, they consider a variety of ways to pay for them.
Later this year, the Delegates will converge on a Plan of Action, an overall strategy that they collectively believe will best achieve the shared goal. This final Plan of Action will require the support of two-thirds of the Delegates.
If at least two-thirds of the Delegates do support the plan, it will be presented by Delegates to elected officials, local leaders, and the public. If all goes well, that presentation will take place this winter.
Participating Delegates will receive:
A stipend of $15 per hour, with a max of 2 hours per week of panel discussions
Compensation for an additional 2 hours of time for completing surveys throughout the process
Internet or computer equipment to take part in the jury, if needed
Support for childcare or other caregiving, if needed
This compensation, the Unify Montrose project, and its staff from Unify America, a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps communities solve problems through collaboration, are funded by individual donors and through Colorado-based foundations like the El Pomar Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation.
