Public participation: Does it make the community better? I think so.
Those of us who have lived in Reno since the population was in the five figures have seen many changes in the community.
One of the most obvious is that the Truckee Meadows has grown and is continuing to grow.
I can feel the enthusiasm building in the community all of us anticipating new services, businesses and stores limited to the "big cities" before now.
But with all of this excitement, comes people who are impacted by new development.
Public participation and activism should not be taken lightly.
It's what shapes our community.
Well-run collaborative processes can improve proposed developments and projects.
But it can be costly when citizens feel powerless, without being included in decision making.
I am working on a project right now that the engineers thought would take a public meeting or two.
After all, they reasoned, it was an improvement over the existing structure.
After some outcry from several groups who didn't have enough information, the plans went back to the drawing board.
We are now a year and a half into a public process that is working.
Our community is much more vocal than it used to be,making public input mandatory.
With the increase of population, comes more people who want a voice in the future of their community and want to be involved in making decisions.
Not that they weren't there before, there are just more people wanting to be involved in the process.
Thanks to the willingness of our local governments, there is also more accessibility, drawing even more people into the process.
Almost all public meetings are now on public access television.
Our government officials also take public meeting notices much more seriously, encouraging people to get involved.
There are also more steps involved in the process: citizen advisory committees, planning commissions, task forces, ad hoc committees, then city council and county commission and even the regional planning commission if the project is of regional significance.
In addition, first and second readings and hearings also make the process longer, drawing even more attention and public involvement.
You may have seen, or been involved in, a few rousing meetings: developers, public officials and actively participating citizens.
For some business people, the process is frustrating and time consuming.
But,my opinion is that when the vote is finally taken and a decision is reached, public participation facilitated a compromise, improving the decision and project.
Why should this matter to you? My guess is that as a resident, you care about costs for utilities, where intensive community development might be, and where traffic corridors are being planned.
And public input does make a difference.
Your elected officials rely on all information that is presented to them before making decisions.
This includes public testimony.
I have seen them regularly change a decision based on the input of the community.
But even more important, as a business person, if you are building, expanding or requesting a change from the norm, then your project will be on a public meeting agenda, too.
So, the above is a long explanation to get the heart of this column.
What can you or your business can do if you are faced with a project or issue that will involve public participation.
What does it take to gain public support? Here are some common sense guidelines to keep in mind:
1.
Follow the rules.
There are established rules of conduct such as staying in the medium and avoiding self-serving comments.
There are also procedural steps in governmental processes.
Not following the required steps will elicit mistrust.
2.
Use disciplined, focused, responsive communication:
* Keep the focus on getting a positive result.
* Get and keep negotiations out of the ditch.
* Reduce wild goose chases (don't take things so personally).
* Control instinctive responses to emotional language.
3.
Be responsive.
Responsive communication recognizes and respects the emotional nature of activist communication.
It means understanding the emotional vocabulary of the conversation and responding in relentlessly positive, constructive ways.
4.
Remember, it's not personal and don't respond that way.
Only sticks and stones really break your bones ...
words shouldn't, but often do.
5.Neither the public, the media, nor government will force a settlement until you build the necessary support among the citizenry and those most directly affected and you have met with your adversaries.
6.
One of the great lessons in activist communications is that if we talk about war, act like we're going to war, and then get ready for war ...
there will be war.
There are more important internal messages than war.
Don't get sucked into war.Wage peace.
7.
Confrontation can't be eliminated, but it can be modified, controlled, mitigated and anticipated.
8.
Sometimes negotiation face-to-face with a handful of people is the only way an agreement will be ultimately achieved.
9.
Be realistic about community attitudes.
Don't minimize their fears, trivialize their concerns and belittle their questions.
10.Answer the really crucial questions: * Is it really necessary? * Aren't there other alternatives? * What are the real risks? * Why disrupt our lives this way?
11.Assign community relationship-building responsibilities to people who care, are good communicators and whom the community or activists respect.
12.
Be open minded to an even better end product with public participation.
Doesn't this make your head hurt? But, community activism is not going away in the Truckee Meadows.
And if you try not to involve the public, you could be sent back to the drawing board, costing you and your company even more time and money.
If nothing else, remember the following: listen, be respectful, follow the rules, be responsive, be sincere, tell the truth, have patience and don't give up.
Marlene Olsen is president of Olsen & Associates Public Relations, Inc.
of Reno.
Contact her at molsen@o-apr.com.
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