Part I: Ten Tips for New Commissioners
1. Listen!
2. Educate Yourself
4. Ask Questions
3. Be Polite ... And Patient
5. Do Your Homework
6. Avoid "Ex-Parte" Contacts
7. Recognize Conflicts of Interest
8. Attend ... And Contribute
9. Be Independent & Informed
10. Make A Difference
Part II: The Planning Universe
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sample page from Guide -- approximation of formatting
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TIP # 3 FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS
BE POLITE ... AND PATIENT |
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| Common Civility
Too many public meetings degenerate into name calling and chaos through neglect of common civility.
Citizens who brave ice storms, heat waves, or the comfort of their living rooms to show up at a public forum deserve our respect, no matter how we feel about their opinions. It is important that public
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officials speak in measured tones, address each person appropriately, and otherwise model the kind of behavior they expect from the audience.
Is your tone sarcastic or angry? Most perpetrators of this behavior usually accompany their words with folded arms and frowns. "Well, sure, you just never saw the signs we posted" or "You don't really expect us to believe you didn't notice your brother-in-law's violation." Similar to assuming guilt, this type of posture puts you at a disadvantage because people will tend to side with someone who is being insulted. From, "Ask Questions Well and You May Even Receive Worthwhile Answers!" by Elaine Cogan (PCJ #22) Don't Become Involved in Altercations
Some persons seem to come to hearings with the express purpose of
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"telling them guys down there how the cow ate the cabbage." If you answer their irrelevant rantings, you are immediately involved in a fight.
Don't answer or try to defend yourself. You are there to hear testimony and make decisions based thereon, not to head up a debating society. Remember, you are the judge and the jury. In most cases, it is sufficient to say, "thank you very much for coming here and giving us the benefit of your thinking. I am sure that the members of this body will give your remarks serious consideration." From, "The Riggins Rules, #21" by Fred Riggins (PCJ #13) Show Respect Respect the questioner even when you doubt the question. People ask dumb questions ... hostile ones ... tough ones ... all of which you should answer as directly as you can, but always respectfully. |
Those three little words, "I don't know," followed up by "but I'll find out for you," should be high in your vocabulary.
From, "You, Too, Can Speak So People Will Listen!" by Elaine Cogan (PCJ #25) Patience
It will not take long after you have joined the planning board to become an "insider." You will begin to understand professional planning jargon and may even be able to decipher plat maps and legal documents.
That knowledge, which is essential to doing a good job on the commission, can also cause you to be impatient with lesser informed citizens who slow down commission meetings with simple or elementary questions.
Patience may be the first attribute you lose when it should be the one you hold on to most tenaciously.
From, "Starting Out the New Year on the Right Foot," by Elaine Cogan (PCJ #8)
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