1. July 25 th 2013 ACHIEVING ACTIVE COMMUNITY GOALS

2. Communications & Relationships Communications & Relationships Political Support Political Support Plans & Policies Plans & Policies Budgets & Codes Budgets & Codes Building Blocks of Successful Planning

3. Communications & Relationships Political Support Plans and Policies Budgets & Codes Interdependent & cannot stand alone!!!!

4. To be successful you will need to take the long view to achieve results.

5.  Building support for our work to Often focuses on traditional workshops and open houses.  While essential from a statutory and “due process” stand not typically effective to achieve what you want.  The overlooked key is many times personal relationships. COMMUNICATION & RELATIONSHIPS

6.  Every community has people who are influential Local business owners Local business owners Professionals….doctors or lawyers Professionals….doctors or lawyers Well respected retirees. Well respected retirees. Etc….. Etc…..  Can determine the success of a project. building a relationship with them can be essential. building a relationship with them can be essential. COMMUNICATION cont’d

7. When preparing to build a relationship…. think about how your project might benefit them: Business owner……the economic benefits Business owner……the economic benefits A school superintendant……academics and transportation costs A school superintendant……academics and transportation costs A pediatrician…….children’s health. A pediatrician…….children’s health. Parents………children’s health and safety. Parents………children’s health and safety. COMMUNICATION cont’d

8.  Technical skills are important, but success will generally come down to your ability to communicate and build relationships.  I made this transition. Right out of graduate school I thought of myself as a technical person. I realized that without communication and relationships all my other skills were moot. I realized that without communication and relationships all my other skills were moot. COMMUNICATION cont’d

9. Good communication skills will also be key when addressing skepticism or opposition: “Agenda 21” angst “Agenda 21” angst Fiscal conservatism Fiscal conservatism Etc. Etc. COMMUNICATION cont’d

10.  The support of our elected officials is essential to succeed in our work.  They adopt the plans, codes and budgets that will create an active community.  We all deal with a variety of elected officials: Sympathetic Sympathetic Apathetic Apathetic Outright hostile Outright hostile POLITICAL SUPPORT

11.  Those of you with sympathetic commissions ….hurray!! that is great, it will make your task a bit easier.  For those of you with apathetic or hostile commissions…..frankly there is no simple solution…. just a lot of hard work. POLITICAL SUPPORT cont’d

12. Tips and Advice: 1. First and foremost: practice your communication and relationship building skills. 2.Get the facts into their hands…easy to understand, strong talking points: Providing transportation choices Providing transportation choices Improving safety for children Improving safety for children Saving taxpayers money and time Saving taxpayers money and time Etc. Etc. POLITICAL SUPPORT cont’d

13. 3. Elevate the importance of building active communities: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor Visits by constituents…allies Visits by constituents…allies Questions at candidate forums Questions at candidate forums Etc. Etc. 4. Make them look good…..give them credit for successes. 5.Don’t assume a supportive commission will remain so…..they need help to stay in office POLITICAL SUPPORT cont’d

14.  Growth policies, CIPs and transportation plans are an expression of a community’s desires.  Provide the legal basis for the decisions.  While statutorily required and simply a good way of making decisions, they are not a means onto themselves. PLANS & POLICIES

15.  process of developing a plan can become the focus versus the outcomes wanted  Easy to fixate on meetings, public comments, schedules and lose sight of what you want to achieve.  Focus on the outcomes a community wants……the process is simply to achieve this. PLANS cont’d

16. Advice:  Understand why you want to develop a plan Focus on physical, real world outcomes Focus on physical, real world outcomes  Set achievable goals, but very clear goals: be realistic….understand the political and economic reality be realistic….understand the political and economic reality your allies and governing body want to see progress your allies and governing body want to see progress PLANS cont’d

17.  Avoid complex narrative, facts and figures….you will lose people.  Brevity, clarity and conciseness  Use clear graphics and photos  Use a tone and language easily understood and appreciated  Avoid boilerplate language  Working with Consultants……you should “lead” the process PLANS cont’d

18.  Planning documents identify outcomes and steps to achieve them. “this is where “the rubber meets the road” “this is where “the rubber meets the road”  For example the growth policy might say the community will: Construct XX miles of bike lanes or XX feet of sidewalks Construct XX miles of bike lanes or XX feet of sidewalks  Amend the zoning code to promote compact, walkable development  Etc Budgets & Codes

19.  The question becomes will your governing body actually budget money to implement these steps.  Limited fiscal resources has led to an over reliance on codes and regulations or grants monies to achieve goals…..OR  No progress at All!! Budgets cont’d

20.  it important that communities balance the use of codes and public monies to create active communities.  the commitment of public funds to a project related to active communities is an incredible statement of support. Budgets cont’d

21.  A balanced approach is a statement to businesses and developers that the community will share the burden. may make it easier to implement other projects…codes etc. may make it easier to implement other projects…codes etc.  thirdly, public-private partnerships are far too often overlooked. Budgets cont’d

22.  Does anyone have any final thoughts, comments or questions about this presentation or about how the BAC webinar series can be designed to most effective for you?  Jerry Grebenc: or 406-439-0283  Jerry Grebenc: jerry@future- west.org or 406-439-0283jerry@future- west.org Conclusion