Roundtables: A New Way for a Town and its Residents to Work Together

by Gloria F. Mengual

November 21, 2004 | | East Hampton, CT

 

Study Circles are giving the people of East Hampton a real voice in the decision-making process.

For years, residents of East Hampton, Connecticut, were in gridlock over the town budget. Many were adamant about not raising taxes, while others expressed concern about the need to continue improving education and safety services. Town meetings were often confrontational, and the budget was defeated over and over again.

But things are changing in East Hampton. For the second year in a row, the town is giving residents a real voice in the decision-making process.

The situation began to improve when members of the town finance committee recognized that they had to find a better way to work with the public. They decided to try a new approach. Early in 2004, led by Finance Chair Barbara Moore and committee member Karen Olson, they organized Chatham Roundtables — public conversations designed to give the community a different way to look at budget issues, prior to another referendum. The idea was to give residents a way to talk through their differing viewpoints and make recommendations based on compromises they reached during their discussions.

Nearly 80 people took part in the roundtables. Early on in the discussions, participants made it clear that they were frustrated by the lack of information so vital to making informed decisions. So, right away, the town agreed to provide weekly updates on the town website, and promised to keep the website up to date in the future.

And, as the date of the budget referendum drew near, there was other evidence that the discussions were generating interest. More people than ever before put signs on their lawns, attended town meetings, and wrote letters to the editor.

Through the roundtables, residents clarified their values for the community. When the referendum came to a vote, East Hampton passed a $29.6 million town budget on the first ballot.

"It wasn't a matter of usurping the Finance Board's decision making," says Olson. "The summarized action plans from each roundtable gave the Finance Board more to work with. We don't have to second-guess what residents feel are town priorities."

With the success of the first roundtables, the community saw the promise of doing the town's finance business in a whole new way. Roundtable participants requested another round of dialogue to work out the town's long-term financial priorities.

In November 2004, town leaders and residents started a new phase of Chatham Roundtables to work on long-range planning. Committee members are confident that these discussions will assure that the five-year financial plan will reflect what town residents value most.

Six roundtables met twice in November. Over the winter, community forums have been scheduled to provide residents with more information about two topics discussed during the first two sessions — the possible addition of a public water system, and an analysis of space in municipal buildings. The roundtables will reconvene in the spring to continue their discussions and come up with action plans. "I'm excited," Olson says. "Some really good ideas that usually just sit in people's heads are being put on paper."

Why are these dialogues making a difference? Says Olson, "We actually started listening to each other instead of thinking 'there he goes again,' as soon as somebody started talking. Some people told me that the first session, where they got to know each other, really made a difference."

Common Sense-a local and vocal tax-watch group-was skeptical. However, they did participate. In the end, members of Common Sense were pleased with the process. "They saw us working toward more open communications," notes Karen Olson. "They saw that the dialogues had no set agenda. They were being listened to. We still don't agree on some things, but we found an acceptable midpoint for many things."

Says Town Manager Alan Bergren, "In the past, the atmosphere leading up to budgets has been emotionally charged and often polarizing. It often came down to town agencies and residents vying against each other without talking about their concerns or understanding the state and federal mandates the town is required to meet."

Bergren agrees that the dialogues not only helped the finance department learn what was important to residents, they also helped residents understand how the town budget is put together. He is hopeful about the current roundtables project. "Something outstanding happened as a result of these roundtable budget discussions. I attended the action forum after the circles finished meeting and saw not only enthusiasm, but real consensus. It wasn't just about taxes anymore; it was about our sense of community."

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