BERLIN – Despite low attendance, town officials report that the trio of public meetings hosted regarding resiliency yielded valuable information.
The town of Berlin hosted meetings March 14,16 and 18 to gather public input for a new element for the town’s comprehensive plan designed to target resiliency. The turnout was low at the first two meetings, but improved for the last session.
“Overall, we had some really good discussions,” Town Administrator Laura Allen said. “The conversations and information were what we were looking for.”
In the initial session last Thursday, the majority of attendees were town employees and elected officials, though a handful of residents were present. Facilitator Brandy Espinola of the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center asked attendees to discuss what resilience meant to them and to consider what they liked about Berlin and how they wanted it to look in 50 years. The workshop also addressed the town’s budget process and asked for input on how to ensure a strong financial future for the town.
Though attendance at the first two sessions was low, Allen said the town made to change that for the final session by streaming the meeting online.
“We received good feedback on using Facebook Live,” Allen said, adding that officials had even been able to field questions from online viewers.
She added that the town is always seeking public input on its various initiatives to meet the demands of the public. A lack of input makes it difficult for officials to know what people want and need.
“It makes it harder for us to understand what folks want us to be focused on if we’re not getting feedback,” she said.
Now that the meetings have been held, Espinola will compile the notes and put together a draft of a resilience element for the town’s comprehensive plan. Allen expects the draft to be posted on the town’s website this summer. Public input will be collected and changes will be made as needed.
“The goal is to have the draft to the planning commission by Aug. 30,” Allen said.
After the commission approves the document it will go to the town council for review, ideally by the end of the year. Though creation of the resilience element was meant to kick off the town’s review of its comprehensive plan, Allen said that review could be delayed based on funding concerns.
“We’re having financial challenges,” Allen said, adding that if the state didn’t require the town to review the comprehensive plan next year the process could be delayed. “We might push it back.”
