Once we bring in experts to answer our questions, then we become simply an audience, not a participating body. Let's get citizens discussing and brainstorming ideas and solutions! At least that's what seems to work within our neighborhood association... sometimes with angst, other times with humor... and usually with good results.
Wendy Introwitz Pareene -----Original Message----- From: Jim Mork [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 2:19 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] NRP how to get citizens into city-wide planning You know, you may have something there. HOWEVER, I think I have a better model. The Westminster Presbyterian Church downtown invites in experts in various arias, and anyone can come. There is an opening statement on the topic, and then yellow cards are collected with the expert to answer. I've really liked the ones I've gone to. Maybe that's a model for NROP "citizen involvement" or even "citizen involvement" with a broader swath of local government. ---- Begin Original Message ---- The way to get the whole city involved (or those who care) is to hold citizen forums at the Target Center on a series of weekend afternoons and 1 evening per month (to give a couple time slot options to fit into people's schedules) and set up a few mics for citizen ideas, comments and questions. Establish operating procedures up front and form committees to explore options. In other words... just do what the neighborhood assns do... on a grand scale. Think Democracy in its purest form! Think ancient Greek forums... except all citizens would be welcome not just the ruling-class males! Wendy Introwitz Pareene Lyndale Resident From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 11:08:54 EST To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Re: NRP Yesterday, neighborhood folks attending the city council committee of the whole had an opportunity to sit down with Mayor and talk about our shared perception about what is happening to NRP funding. One piece of the discussion -- and the Mayor talked about this-is: How can we incorporate the kind of community planning process that happens in neighborhoods currently on NRP projects into the whole city budget and agency expenditures? I am trolling for good ideas of how that actually might happen. Thanks, Scott Vreeland, president of the Seward Neighborhood Group Seward ---- End Original Message ---- -------------- Jim Mork--Cooper "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out." Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
