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<br />44 <br /> <br />more prepared participants are, the smoother and more productive the meeting will be. At the meepllg,besin by <br />reviewing the meeting objective and agenda; set ground rules at this time and stick to them. Provide ~ple <br />opportunities for the public and agency personnel to interact, to learn, to share and to listen to one another. U~ <br />the meeting time constructively but be willing to be dynamic and flexible. For instance, one of the worst kinds <br />of meeting is the typical hearing in which a microphone is set on the floor, with people parading up to it all <br />evening. These meetings are incredibly boring and the infonnation gained is generic and often useless. We <br />shouldn't be afraid to do something different: small groups, special topic areas, educational sessions, etC. <br /> <br />We need to establish and follow a Decision Process. It cannot be emphasized enough how important <br />establishing and following a decision structure is to the public. Many good public involvement efforts have self- <br />destructed at this stage of the process. While the public must understand that not all their wishes may become <br />realities no one is interested in participating in a process that is a facade. It is critical that the public pndetstands <br />how we responded to their concerns and what we've done with the information they have given us. Before going <br />to the public we need to be sure that there is internal support for the process; we shouldn't plan in a vacuum, <br />internally or externally. Second, we need to state clearly and in writing, bow decisions will be made, when <br />decisions will be made, and by whom. Then periodically update the public about where they are in the process; <br />from the publics point of view it appears to take an incredible amount of time between fIrst gathering input and <br />the fInal decision. To keep the public's support they need to feel they are informed about the process all along <br />the way. They should not feel that they have been dropped from the process during the middle stages. Finally, <br />we need to stick with the decision process, we shouldn't change venues mid-stream. If the going gets tough, we <br />don't want to give the appearance of starting and stopping public processes arbitrarily. If changes are necessary, <br />discuss it with the public and develop a mutual understanding about how the process is to be modifIed. <br /> <br />Work group results <br /> <br />Work Group Issues: <br />1. Non-affiliated individuals - how do we include them in the process? <br />2. Strategies to prevent political contingency from controlling the process. <br />3. How to mediate a compromise. <br />4. Roles of facilitators vs. the team leader. <br />5. How to reach large numbers of people - people who live at a great distance from the area. <br />6. How to prevent an active minority from dominating a meeting (i.e. a stacked audience). <br />7. How to get people to contribute to the meeting in a non-traditional form. <br />8. How do we get new people vs. "professional" meeting attendees? <br />9. How to fInd a good meeting location (e.g. natural, aesthetic). <br />10. How to get people to agree to take on tasks, and perfonn them. <br />11. Agenda overload (endless meetings). <br />12. How do we create a process which provides for interactive dialog and a framework to impart information? <br />13. How do we separate public perception from what's real without insulting the public or lying? <br />14. People want to tell us their hidden agendas, in private. <br />15. How can hostile people be dealt with in meetings? <br />17. How to get people involved who don't want to be involved. <br />18. How to overcome the general distrust of agencies that people feel. <br />19. We need effective ways to bring people to a common understanding. <br /> <br />Work Group Ideas I Solutions: <br /> <br />· Include I recognize new people at meetings, perhaps give small task, people like to be invited and <br />included <br /> <br />· Acknowledge that people have hidden agendas, then suggest that it would be best to "leave them <br />outside the door." <br /> <br />· Budget the necessary money to provide a professional meeting space. This helps set the tone for <br />entire project. Revolving meeting locations can worlc if no neutral place is available. <br /> <br />· Talk to people when you are in the fIeld. Get names, then follow up and call them and try to <br />establish a relationship. <br /> <br />American River Management Society <br /> <br />, <br />j <br />