10K Match for Resident-driven Small Community Engagement

02/01/23 • 32 min

Sue Lessard, town manager, Bucksport, Maine, tells a familiar tale of a small town struggling after a major industry closed its doors. With renewed focus on economic development but still searching for a way to reshape the town's identity, local government determined how to get out of the way when it comes to community engagement - Community Heart and Soul.

Jane Lafleur explains that it is a resident-driven process that relies on in-person interviews along with other digital methods to engage the entire population of a town. This identifies what is most loved about the community, the future the residents want for it, and how to achieve it. Local government can secure grant funding and provide the infrastructure.

The result is participation based on positives, not complaints, and real data to inform council decisions.

Resources

Apply for a $10,000 seed grant for communities under 30,000 population

Obtain Community Heart and Soul's free intro book or email them at [email protected]

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined initiative and conferences

ICMA's Strategic Planning in Small Communities: A Manager's Manual

The result is participation based on positives, not complaints, and real data to inform council decisions.

Resources

Apply for a $10,000 seed grant for communities under 30,000 population

Obtain Community Heart and Soul's free intro book or email them at [email protected]

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined initiative and conferences

ICMA's Strategic Planning in Small Communities: A Manager's Manual

Previous Episode

Accessing Federal Infrastructure Dollars: A Conversation with NLC Executive Director Clarence Anthony

Why local governments are the best stewards of federal funding opportunities.
How investment decisions can help address issues of inequity and expand upward mobility and opportunities for all residents.
How specific cities like Tacoma, Washington; Baltimore, Maryland; and Union City, Georgia are using their federal funds, included in NLC's ARPA Investment Tracker.
How small and mid-sized communities in particular can get access to technical assistance for grant writing to apply for federal funds.
Why it’s so important for communities to gather community input on the front end of city projects and then communicating intentions and results across various channels to a diverse public.

Resources

Zencity 360: essential tools to help government agencies improve services, build community trust, and increase overall satisfaction, from our partner recently named a 2023 GovTech100 company.

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined initiative and conferences

ICMA's Strategic Planning in Small Communities: A Manager's Manual

Next Episode

Assistant Manager Exchange Program

Cedar Park, Texas deputy city manager, Katherine Caffrey created the TEXChange program in Texas to benefit assistant city/county managers in their daily work . In this episode, Caffrey outlines the goals of the exchange for participant and host, lessons learned in the inaugural group of 14, what's planned for 2023, and how to set up a similar informal program in your own region or state.

Resources

ICMA Blog: How We Created a Successful Exchange Student Program for Assistant and Deputy Managers

[email protected]

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