As per City Charter, Charter IV, Section 20(7), the Council directs the development of an annual report available to the public on the “State of the City”. 

Goal 1 of the Statewide Planning Goals established after Senate Bill 100 was approved in 1973 requires citizen involvement including a Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI).  CCI shall be responsible for assisting the governing body with the development of a program that promotes and enhances citizen involvement in land-use planning, assisting in the implementation of the citizen involvement program, and evaluating the process being used for citizen involvement.  Feedback mechanisms are required to assure that citizens will receive a response from policy makers.  The State of the City address is one of the mechanisms used for feedback to the public.

Click here for a summary of the State of the City Address presented by Mayor Richard Kidd at the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, January 26, 2008.