July 25 th 2013 ACHIEVING ACTIVE COMMUNITY GOALS.

July 25July 25thth 20132013

ACHIEVING ACTIVE ACHIEVING ACTIVE COMMUNITY GOALSCOMMUNITY GOALS

Communications & RelationshipsCommunications & Relationships

Political SupportPolitical Support

Plans & PoliciesPlans & Policies

Budgets & CodesBudgets & Codes

Building Blocks of Successful Building Blocks of Successful PlanningPlanning

Communications Communications & Relationships& Relationships

Political Political SupportSupport

Plans and Plans and PoliciesPolicies

Budgets & Budgets & CodesCodes

Interdependent & Interdependent & cannot stand cannot stand

alone!!!!alone!!!!

To be successful you will need to take the To be successful you will need to take the long viewlong view to achieve results. to achieve results.

Building support for our work to Often Building support for our work to Often focuses on traditional workshops and focuses on traditional workshops and open houses. open houses.

While essential from a statutory and While essential from a statutory and “due process” stand not typically “due process” stand not typically effective to achieve what you wanteffective to achieve what you want..

The overlooked key is many times The overlooked key is many times personal relationships.personal relationships.

COMMUNICATION & COMMUNICATION & RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

Every community has people who are Every community has people who are influentialinfluential

•Local business owners Local business owners

•Professionals….doctors or lawyersProfessionals….doctors or lawyers

•Well respected retirees. Well respected retirees.

•Etc…..Etc…..

Can determine the success of a Can determine the success of a project. project.

•building a relationship with them can be building a relationship with them can be essential.essential.

COMMUNICATION cont’dCOMMUNICATION cont’d

When preparing to build a When preparing to build a relationship…. think about how your relationship…. think about how your project might benefit them: project might benefit them:

Business owner……the economic benefitsBusiness owner……the economic benefits A school superintendant……academics and A school superintendant……academics and

transportation costs transportation costs A pediatrician…….children’s health.A pediatrician…….children’s health. Parents………children’s health and safety.Parents………children’s health and safety.


Technical skills are important , but Technical skills are important , but success will generally come down to your success will generally come down to your ability to communicate and build ability to communicate and build relationships. relationships.

I made this transition. Right out of I made this transition. Right out of graduate school I thought of myself as a graduate school I thought of myself as a technical person. technical person.

I realized that without communication and I realized that without communication and relationships all my other skills were moot.relationships all my other skills were moot.


Good communication skills will also Good communication skills will also be key when addressing skepticism be key when addressing skepticism or opposition: or opposition:

““Agenda 21” angstAgenda 21” angst Fiscal conservatismFiscal conservatism Etc.Etc.


The support of our elected officials is The support of our elected officials is essential to succeed in our work. essential to succeed in our work.

They adopt the plans, codes and They adopt the plans, codes and budgets that will create an active budgets that will create an active community. community.

We all deal with a variety of elected We all deal with a variety of elected officials: officials:

•SympatheticSympathetic•ApatheticApathetic•Outright hostileOutright hostile

POLITICAL SUPPORTPOLITICAL SUPPORT

Those of you with sympathetic Those of you with sympathetic commissions ….hurray!! that is great, it commissions ….hurray!! that is great, it will make your task a bit easier. will make your task a bit easier.

For those of you with apathetic or hostile For those of you with apathetic or hostile commissions…..frankly there is no commissions…..frankly there is no simple solution…. just a lot of hard work.simple solution…. just a lot of hard work.

POLITICAL SUPPORT cont’dPOLITICAL SUPPORT cont’d

Tips and AdviceTips and Advice::

1.1. First and foremost: practice your First and foremost: practice your communication and relationship building communication and relationship building skills.skills.

2.2. Get the facts into their hands…easy to Get the facts into their hands…easy to understand, strong talking points:understand, strong talking points:

Providing transportation choicesProviding transportation choices Improving safety for childrenImproving safety for children Saving taxpayers money and timeSaving taxpayers money and time Etc.Etc.


3.3. Elevate the importance of building active Elevate the importance of building active communities:communities:

Letters to the editorLetters to the editor Visits by constituents…alliesVisits by constituents…allies Questions at candidate forums Questions at candidate forums Etc.Etc.

4.4. Make them look good…..give them credit Make them look good…..give them credit for successes.for successes.

5.5. Don’t assume a supportive commission will Don’t assume a supportive commission will remain so…..they need help to stay in officeremain so…..they need help to stay in office


Growth policies, CIPs and Growth policies, CIPs and transportation plans are an expression transportation plans are an expression of a community’s desires. of a community’s desires.

Provide the legal basis for the Provide the legal basis for the decisions. decisions.

While statutorily required and simply a While statutorily required and simply a good way of making decisions, good way of making decisions, they are they are not a means onto themselvesnot a means onto themselves..

PLANS & POLICIESPLANS & POLICIES

process of developing a plan can process of developing a plan can become the focus versus the outcomes become the focus versus the outcomes wantedwanted

Easy to fixate on meetings, public Easy to fixate on meetings, public comments, schedules and lose sight of comments, schedules and lose sight of what you want to achieve.what you want to achieve.

Focus on the outcomes a community Focus on the outcomes a community wants……the process is simply to wants……the process is simply to achieve this.achieve this.

PLANS cont’dPLANS cont’d

Advice:Advice: Understand why you want to develop a Understand why you want to develop a

planplanFocus on physical, real world outcomesFocus on physical, real world outcomes

Set achievable goals, but very clear Set achievable goals, but very clear goals:goals:

be realistic….understand the political and be realistic….understand the political and economic reality economic reality

your allies and governing body want to your allies and governing body want to see progresssee progress


Avoid complex narrative, facts and Avoid complex narrative, facts and figures….you will lose people.figures….you will lose people.

Brevity, clarity and concisenessBrevity, clarity and concisenessUse clear graphics and photosUse clear graphics and photos

Use a tone and language easily Use a tone and language easily understood and appreciatedunderstood and appreciated

Avoid boilerplate languageAvoid boilerplate language

Working with Consultants……you Working with Consultants……you should “lead” the processshould “lead” the process


Planning documents identify outcomes Planning documents identify outcomes and steps to achieve them. and steps to achieve them.

•““this is where “the rubber meets the road”this is where “the rubber meets the road”

For example the growth policy might say For example the growth policy might say the community will:the community will:

•Construct XX miles of bike lanes or XX feet Construct XX miles of bike lanes or XX feet of sidewalksof sidewalks

Amend the zoning code to promote Amend the zoning code to promote compact, walkable developmentcompact, walkable development

EtcEtc

Budgets & CodesBudgets & Codes

The question becomes will your The question becomes will your governing body actually budget money governing body actually budget money to implement these steps.to implement these steps.

Limited fiscal resources has led to an Limited fiscal resources has led to an over reliance on codes and regulations over reliance on codes and regulations or grants monies to achieve or grants monies to achieve goals…..OR goals…..OR

No progress at All!!No progress at All!!

Budgets cont’dBudgets cont’d

it important that communities balance it important that communities balance the use of codes and public monies to the use of codes and public monies to create active communities. create active communities.

the commitment of public funds to a the commitment of public funds to a project related to active communities is project related to active communities is an incredible statement of support.an incredible statement of support.


A balanced approach is a statement to A balanced approach is a statement to businesses and developers that the businesses and developers that the community will share the burden. community will share the burden.

may make it easier to implement other may make it easier to implement other projects…codes etc.projects…codes etc.

thirdly, public-private partnerships are far too often overlooked.


Does anyone have any final thoughts, Does anyone have any final thoughts, comments or questions about this comments or questions about this presentation or about how the BAC presentation or about how the BAC webinar series can be designed to most webinar series can be designed to most effective for you?effective for you?

Jerry Grebenc: Jerry Grebenc: [email protected]@future-west.org or or 406-439-0283406-439-0283

ConclusionConclusion

mailto:[email protected]

July 25 th 2013 ACHIEVING ACTIVE COMMUNITY GOALS.

Documents

Transcript of July 25 th 2013 ACHIEVING ACTIVE COMMUNITY GOALS.