Creating a new vision in Keene, N.H.

Studying Keene

by

April 6, 2008 | The Keene Sentinel | Keene, New Hampshire

Periodically Keene takes stock of its municipal ambitions in a public goal-setting exercise. By design, the undertaking leads to refinements of the city’s master plan, which is a roadmap for lawmaking on such matters as land protection, housing and economic development.

This month City Hall is setting out on another such round of community introspection — the modern idiom is visioning. But the method this time around will differ significantly from the practice of the last several decades.

In the past, City Hall has recruited citizens to update community goals. Understandably, it’s turned to people who already know the drill, such as residents who have seen the insides of the city council chambers, who tend know know one another, and who also have a sense of the possible.

The record of these recruits hasn’t been bad. Consider, for example, a finding in the early 1990s that the city’s tax base needed a serious influx of businesses. The result: City Hall opened up what became Black Brook Industrial Park, and relieved the residential sector of a big increase in tax burdens.

What’s new with the visioning exercise this time is the inclusion of people who may not know where City Hall is or even know what City Hall does. Also different: The participants won’t necessarily be thrown into committees dominated by establishment types; they’ll meet in small groups in their own settings and then report how they think city life should change or stay the same. No age requirement. No educational requirement. No experience or club affiliation necessary. Just a willingness to get together with friends or neighbors or fellow churchgoers to talk about the future, and then share the conclusions.

The rationale, which is consistent with the opening of society through advances in information technology — anybody today can post an opinion on just about anything, after all — assumes that there are people outside the good old boy network who have creative and constructive things to say.

Portsmouth found that out five years ago when it asked citizens to form what it called study circles and voice their ideas about the city’s future. Instead of a tight network of committees filled with the usual suspects, the city wound up with 26 small groups scattered around the community, each of which offered ideas about such topics as what buildings should be preserved, how parks should be cared for, how to encourage local shopping and how to reduce waste.

A side benefit was that a number of the first-time participants took a shine to community affairs. Two went on to be elected to the city council. Others are leading a new effort to reduce the city’s energy consumption.

This method of bringing new people into public debate is the brainchild of a Connecticut nonprofit called Everyday Democracy that, since 1989 has worked with more than 550 communities across the United States on a variety of issues.

It’s a credit to first-term Mayor Dale Pregent and the city staff to consider the study circle approach for Keene this year. After all, it would have been far easier and no doubt quicker to go to the Rolodex for input.

Nothing wrong with being on the Rolodex; people already experienced in city affairs should step forward. But so should those who are on the outside. Want to say something? Call the city’s planning department at 352-5474. Or show up at the community visioning kick-off on April 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the city’s Transportation Center on Gilbo Avenue, and learn how your voice and ideas can be heard.

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