A Community Discussion About Our Future

Key Issue # 3 Citizen Participation

Facilitator: Rob Graybill Recorder: Mica Stark Spokesperson: not noted
Participants: R. Moody, John Bradfield, Joyce Welton, Herbert Elliott, Verna Elliott, Dona Fairbairn, Arlene Dodge, Dan MacDonald, Brenda Jones, Gordon Carlstrom, Frances Towne, Lyn Lombard, Martin McLarnon, Brenda Lind, Sacha DeMatteis

Clarification of the problem/issue to be addressed:

• community – how get information out to residents?
• how keep people coming to volunteer, get beyond core- how to get non-volunteer to volunteer?
- go back to town meeting
- information available in hard copy at library
• need for gathering places, personal touch – connections
• what motivates people to volunteer
• we need to ID what motivates people
• what are the inhibitors/barriers? (for why people don’t volunteer)
• clicks can deter people from volunteering
• people need to be asked > personal touch
• information about what services are volunteer based (% of services)
• volunteers vs. participation and leadership
- need system to develop leaders

Possible Solutions:

• use the Internet to create a forum to share information about projects, volunteer opportunities, calendar events
• central location to get information
• database, skill exchange > community, volunteer assets + needs
• packet for new members of town committee (input on ….members)
• service credits ($ vs. non $) recognition and rewards
• information out about volunteer of month
• big fuss (annual event) over stellar volunteers – without intimidating newbies
• get volunteers from across groups together (annual event)
• volunteer coordinator (paid) in town
• infrastructure and coordination (leadership development)
• outside Dodge’s > central location – board, cabinet = volunteer opportunity
• lifer mentor/buddy with new residents
• welcome packet for new residents
• research: what makes some local groups work well
• publicize success/volunteer stories make it personal
• bring original leaders together (for leader training)
• UNH + ? for workshop on lead training
- how to develop the future leaders
- manage volunteer base
• hold volunteer forum, that’s fun
• central body/person organize, coordination of needs and opportunities
• volunteer fair
• Internet (forums, information) content
- vehicle – internet, packets, boards, locations
• improve internet and content and capabilities to facilitate citizen participation
- interactive on line forms
- informative
• central coordination of volunteer needs and opportunities
• leadership network and cultivation
- for vm
- mentoring
- training
- collaborating
• needs database
• leadership forum/training
• information packet (ex. Welcome packet)
• event>success + recognition

Project Evaluations:

High Impact/High Feasibility
• need to make it fun (Volunteer Fair)
• use Internet to get out information, get out vote, get volunteers
• needs database
• central location for information
• publicize success (also noted as Moderate Impact/High feasibility)

High Impact/Moderate Feasibility
• volunteer coordination-person (also noted as high impact/high feasibility)
• “lifer”/”newbie” mentor-buddy program
• interesting fresh packet for new residents (both Internet and hard copy)
• develop mentoring ‘alternative numbers’
• research other groups/ideas to investigate success to see what works
• leadership forum/training

High Impact/Low Feasibility
• skills database

Moderate Impact/High Feasibility
• Big Fuss event

Moderate Impact/Moderate Feasibility
not noted

Moderate Impact/Low Feasibility
• rewards, service credits

Low Impact/High Feasibility
not noted

Low Impact/Moderate Feasibility
not noted

Low Impact/Low Feasibility
not noted