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Author Message   Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 8558 Registered: 4-1997 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 9:03 am:        Sounds like almost 200 people attended last night's open public meeting about the Valley Street project. The Chamber of Commerce organized the meeting. Regardless of what you think about development or this specific project, this type of open public meeting is what our Board of Trustees is supposed to be doing: organizing AND PROMOTING venues for public input. (I think only Trustee Eric DeVaris attended the meeting, which is no surprise, as he has been actively promoting more open government and citizen involvement.)   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 1771 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 12:10 pm:        Dave -- Would you like the village to hire a marketing company, take out full page newspaper ads, etc. to promote these kinds of meetings? You're a bit unfair perhaps -- Millenium has plenty of resources to promote this projects. While the village would be spending additional funds. OTOH -- if the village would partner with the Chamber of Commerce or other groups to promote meetings, that would be good and more cost effective. Pete   Lucy Supporter Username: Lucy Post Number: 2784 Registered: 5-2005 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 12:32 pm:        Pete the village has hired enough hands. What makes the Chamber meeting stand out is the fact the public learned about what is planned in the open. Usually we are told about the Pilots the night before the election with no public input. The public can either be for or against the project but at least it's not being done behind closed doors!   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 1775 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 1:08 pm:        Lucy - I don't disagree with you. That said, this meeting was on behalf of Millennium -- who partnered with the chamber and spent $$ preparing for the meeting and advertising the meeting. You really can't compare that with a "public/village sponsored" meeting -- if our officials took out full page ads they'd be spending a fortune -- but arguably, a better way to get the word out than a paragraph in the Gaslight or link on the village site. I took Dave's post to be primarly regarding PROMOTING the meeting. I really don't think the village has "marketing" expertise to design and place ads, etc. in any comparable way. Pete   Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 8569 Registered: 4-1997 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 1:14 pm:        The Village does a bang-up job with the Gaslight Newsletter. If that's not a marketing vehicle, what is?   peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 1776 Registered: 8-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 1:23 pm:        Dave -- Come on, do you really believe the folks that write copy, then cut and paste the Gaslight together have the skills to write ad copy, graphics, develop ads, etc for the village? Even if they did, I doubt they'd do it for free. (Isn't it an outsourced function??) yes, the village should do the best job it can to promote meetings (and holding them in the first place). BUT -- IMO -- promotion within the resources the village has (Gaslight, web site, emails) rather than trying to match what Millennium is doing to promote its development. That's not realistic. Pete   Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10586 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 1:31 pm:        Millenium's approach is very interesting and much different than the traditional model of going before the local government and proposing a development of some sort or being solicited by a development agency to make a proposal. Obviously, they are trying to get public support for the project from both business and other tax payers and getting a ground swell of public opinion behind them before this comes before the VB in any meaningful way. It will be very interesting to see how this works out.   I. Kabish Citizen Username: Parkingsux Post Number: 305 Registered: 6-2005 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 1:40 pm:        Obviously certain conversations occurred between me and the developer, let's not be naieve. We have players who've been around and now wish to conduct business. An element of public support is necessary to fast track this plan. The plan asks and requires a pilot, our record is dismal in regard to the benefit derived by extension and the test before us now is to placate the adversaries with promises of grandeur.   mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 2540 Registered: 4-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 2:45 pm:        Millenium has held several meetings and has plans for more from what I have been told. They did make an unannounced presentation to the public at a trustee meeting. And I agree with BobK's last post - I think it is right on target with their thinking.   MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 3333 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:09 pm:        Mark, Did you get "hundreds" of calls today, as Mr. Berkely claimed to have received after the last presentation?   mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 2542 Registered: 4-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:21 pm:        hahaha... I got one call (last night). None today and only one email this morning.   mjc Citizen Username: Mjc Post Number: 1040 Registered: 10-2004 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:37 pm:        If the BOT wants to publicize a meeting (and I guess that's a big "if"), they could surely do so without a full-page ad. As a start: e-mail flyers to Main Street, Chamber, Rotary, etc. to forward to their members, asking the members to forward, and to post the flyers in their businesses; e-mail to interested people through the village website (isn't there a way to sign up for e-mail notices?); put a 4" x 5" or so "public notice" in the News-Record, shouldn't cost that much, in addition to listing the meeting in News-Record town activities section; if you have a few weeks' advance notice, send to the school PTA/HSAs for their newsletters. All of this would take no more than a couple hours of an employee's time to draft a flyer and send e-mails. Go big-time and print 100 flyers as well, to hand out at libraries, post at train station etc. Seems to me that surprise meetings reflect more a lack of interest in publicity, or a lack of advance planning, than cost issues.   newtoallthis Citizen Username: Newtoallthis Post Number: 240 Registered: 2-2003 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:53 pm:        How about a posting board in the train station? Many people walk through there everyday and it would be a great way to let them know what's going on. You could also post the jitney schedules.   mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 2543 Registered: 4-2002 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:57 pm:        There is a posting board in the train station. Actually I think there are a couple. It has been used by main street and the village for events (summer concerts, Farmers Market, etc).   Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 8571 Registered: 4-1997 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 4:02 pm:        Here's a cheap way to tell people about meetings:   Pizzaz Supporter Username: Pizzaz Post Number: 3135 Registered: 11-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 4:24 pm:        Very well attended. Thank you, Elaine.