CenterEdge Project
Town Meeting: Sample Agenda
Time: 2 hours
Before the meeting begins it is helpful to have refreshments. Ask people to sign in, giving name, address, phone (optional), e-mail address (optional). Have copies of the report and the evaluation form on a table, along with any other handouts.
Time required: 15 minutes. Persons responsible: organizer and host institution
1. Welcome, introduction of speakers and municipal officials who are present, and info about location of bathrooms, refreshments and first request that everyone complete an evaluation before leaving. Time required: 5 minutes. Person responsible: presider.
2. Goal review: the goal is to learn about how and why our state and our city/town are developing as they are, challenges we face as a result, and ways of meeting those challenges. Time required: 1 minute. Person responsible: presider. Suggestion: have goal on newsprint.
3. Questions to audience:
Ask for a show of hands.
How many persons in the room have lived here 5 years of less
How many have lived here 20 years or more
How many have more than one generation of their family living here
Ask each person to turn to the person next to them and to take a couple of minutes each to say:
What they most value about their city or town
What concerns them about how their city or town is growing and developing
Ask for a few responses to each question from the audience.
Time required: 20 minutes. Person responsible: a good facilitator. Suggestion: Have second set of questions on newsprint.
4. CT Metropatterns powerpoint presentation
Time required: 30 minutes. Person responsible: presenter.
5. Questions and discussion
Ask people to turn to the person next to them to share what most struck them in what they heard, taking a couple of minutes each
Invite questions and invite people to share what most struck them
Time required: 45 minutes. Persons responsible: facilitator to call on people and presenter to respond to questions and comments.
6. Evaluation: Remind people to complete the form
Time required: 4 minutes. Person responsible: presider.