by From the Publisher's Desk
5/13/2015

Q1: How do you get your local news?

Q2: How can town officials get residents engaged in issues in a timely manner?

Some comments below are paraphrased and/or abbreviated. We received 64 responses and some had several suggestions within them. We believe this is a fair representation of the comments.

All of the Above…and more
More discussion and summary coverage needs to be posted in all news sources to get people engaged. With different levels of computers and social media, can't rely on just one way.

The recent issue summaries that folks have written on issues (on FB and HR) are helpful in understanding significant issues. It's hard for many people to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of what BOS/FC agenda items important to know in their limited available time.

In all of the ways that you currently are. In my opinion, it will always be a struggle to get people engaged anywhere. An idea, is perhaps, citizens could be offered resources, like web sites, local community courses, library books on town meeting topics, to help educate themselves about common town meeting vocabulary and topics, such as the terms omnibus, 2 1/2 override and such. Politics and numbers are perceived as boring and dry. In my opinion, in general, the townspeople who indicate that they are blindsided are, apparently, not taking the time to either, access all of the available town news outlets, or do not understand the information. It needs to be made a higher priority to people if they want to care about what happens to their town.

I think you have all the "venues" covered. Maybe it is the process. Consider how SEC rulemaking process goes - something like this: Publish a position paper articulating problem, options, pros & cons. Collect feedback and publish. Publish date of meeting where preliminary ruling will be made. Publish a preliminary rule - explaining why options were chosen or not. Collect and publish feedback. Hold final rule-making meeting. Publish final rule. Doesn't have to be a "paper" - maybe a 1 or 2 pager outlining most important data. Not for everything of course - but major situations like this [water surcharge].

Surveys.

Social Media

The use of the Holliston Happy Facebook page is tremendous. Possible solutions are for Town Hall to create a Holliston Government page to supplement the Hollistonreporter.com site and the MWDN. In my personal experience, the quality of the newspaper has deteriorated and can no longer be counted on for timely news. As more people are getting news through Social Media, this paper is no longer the first place residents go for news. Twitter is another way to get news out - and could be used to link to info on the FB page, newspaper, Town Hall announcements and Holliston Reporter.

While I don't feel Facebook is an appropriate place to make decisions about town issues, it is a good place to reach a wide audience and tell them that the info is available. Perhaps a quick post to spread the word that something significant is being discussed and a link to more info that can be found on HCAT, Town Hall website, etc.

More social media notifications... more info on HCAT - state up front what will be discussed.

Make an informational "group" on Facebook with notices about meetings and factual answers to questions; direct trolls, complainers and defensive partisans to write on the Happy and Crabby pages.

Emails/calls

The only thing I consistently do is read my mail - delivered mail and email (and I do go to linked pages in emails if supplied). I saw the link to the water rate survey on Facebook and went to it from there

Reverse 911 calls and emails. Rss feeds that notify us when a meeting- notice- announcement is posted. Town warrants should read more like a corporate proxy - pros, cons, current state vs future...

Use the Blackboard service to remind residents and you the electronic sign board in the square

By e-mail (as the Town Meeting was publicized) or mail (in a water bill, for instance). The Local Town Pages gets mailed to each household, so that would be a far-reaching, but not quick method.

Is there a way to set an email distribution list through the town website so that residents can get the minutes emailed to them or at least a notice that they are available for viewing on the website? I think the town website needs some revamping... It is not easy to always find what you are looking for on the site.

Offer an option to sign up for emails about town government happenings. Things like overviews of current issues, reminders of hearings, etc.

I like Holliston Reporter. HCAT TV is ok. Newspaper is weak. Not all people are on Facebook. Word of mouth is bad. I know it sounds old fashioned but Snail Mail may be the most efficient, combined with the others. (a couple people suggested postal mail)

Website

I would like to see a better town website .. There may be lots of information including times/dates of board meetings but it is nearly impossible to find any information! I don't have a solution to offer or I would've offered it by now. The other part of the problem is that people have to " want" the information!

One stop shopping. People need to know there's one place they can go to get important info. I suggest the town website. THEN, they can drill down on a topic by going to Holliston Reporter, or wherever, if they are interested in more. We need a real website with links to where they can get more info. Seems like we need a point person who can update the site daily or close to it and be the repository for every town official who needs to get some info out there.

Post meeting minutes for Selectmen and FinCom in a timelier manner and in a more obvious place on the town's web site (or link to Holliston Reporter?). Most recent minutes posted as of 5/07 are for 2/25 (Selectmen) and 3/10 (FinCom). Also, links to the minutes for these two committees should be on the home page for easier access. Finally, minutes for Selectmen & FinCom should be presented for approval at the next meeting and posted the following day.

Update the town web site. Meeting minutes are months behind. There is no excuse for not keeping the web site up to date. They didn't even post the town meeting updates e.g., it went 3 nights.

Post on town web-site. Set up meetings (not hearings) just informal meetings for residents to ask questions, etc. and advertise these meetings. Make email addresses of town selectmen available for residents to email questions. Advertise and post prominently this means of contact.

To Officials

Stop blaming the people, because while they do shoulder some of the blame - maybe even most - the bigger picture is that town governments needs to get community engagement and need to figure out a way to do that. Blame is not going to further anything, nor is continuing to do the same old, same old.

They do [reach out to share info]. It's the residents who aren't responsive to the notices.

Good question - after a decision has been made on an issue then everyone has a comment but nothing before hand

The Board of Selectmen need to get off their high horses and actually reach out to the community. Have someone in charge of communication and have one of them write something for Holliston Reporter (not just an HR person).

Our elected leads and paid managers do not feel the need to communicate or get information out to the public. They believe the public should get [it] themselves. Times have changed. Families have less time together due to dual income households to pay bills to survive. Leverage all forms of communications available. Social media is here to stay. All politics is local, I remember politicians going door to door or ward captains or neighbors and friends rallying people. We rally for Holliston In Bloom or the Spring walk HYSB parade, but nothing for the actual running of the town or schools.

Have town departments hold "office hours" at Celebrate Holliston or on the days they hold the business strolls.

Do a better job of listening when the public is engaged. The downtown vision group was truly engaged and the results of that endeavor appear to have been largely ignored by town leadership. If people feel their opinion and engagement is being valued, they are more likely to participate.

Signage

Put notices on the rail trail. A lot of people who were walking dogs and jogging during the town meeting just forgot and went by regular routine.
Put up a big sign or two, like Sherborn has, with notices about public discussions of these meetings.

Hopelessness

It is hopeless!!!!

Accept that most people don't make the time to be informed or don't care until it's about money, and have short fact sheets - i.e. "Why Your Water Bill Is Going Up" at all the usual places around town.

It’s really not possible. People only engage once decisions that affect them in a way they do not like are already made, i.e. at town meeting (and even then, only sometimes)

Several people said something to this effect: “I really have no idea. Sorry.”