Public Meeting Checklist for OSPI ToolKit / 4/20/14
v2

OPEN HOUSE w/PUBLIC MEETING CHECKLIST

for

SCHOOL DISTRICT HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

The following outline and guidance is designed for an Open House public meeting format with presentations, planning activities, and time for Q&A. It is organized by the steps in the process from preparation to the day of the meeting.

INITIAL PREPARATION

Determine who needs to attend and be present at meeting.

Determine if refreshments will be provided (cookies, coffee, water, etc.).

Set the time and date for the meeting (Note: you may need more than one time to accommodate the schedules of your key stakeholders/audiences).

Determine the location ofyour meeting and make arrangements/reservethe facility(ies).Note: If a large crowd is expected, be sure to make arrangements for an audio system to allow presenters and participants to be heard by all.

MEETING ORGANIZATION PREPARATION

Determinethe structure and flow of the meeting.

An Open House format with presentations; a goals, mitigation strategies and priorities activity;and Q&A session is suggested for this type pf public meeting. The flow of the meeting could follow the path described under MEETING below.

Identify a person with some facilitation experience to act as meeting facilitator/organizer to (1) make sure planning and preparation occurs in a timely manner, and (2) to facilitate the meeting.

Define topical areas for stations and poster boards around room for the Open House. Assign appropriately knowledgeable staff to prepare any display boards or handout materials for each station. OSPI and the consulting team can help you determine what topics are most appropriate for your district.

Determine the meeting materials needed and who will prepare them, as well as a timeline for preparation and review by your mitigation planning team.Materials should include:

  • Sign-in sheets
  • Meeting agenda
  • Display boards
  • Handouts (if appropriate)
  • Comment sheets or cards that participants can write their comments on and a collection point (several collections points are sometimes better) for secure drop-off.

Develop a press release, web announcement, flyers, etc. for announcement of the public meeting and distribute.

Identify supplies needed for the meeting such as easels to hold display boards, a flip chart and easel for note taking, markers, stick-on name tags, refreshments, comment boxes, pens, etc. and who will be responsible for bringing them to the meeting.

MEETING

  1. (6:30) Assuming a 7:00pm start time, the meeting room should be open to allow for early arrivals. The room should be set up toprovide seating in the middle of the room and locate stations with topical displays around room, allowing space for movement.
  2. (7:00) This is the start time of the public meeting (Times can be adjusted for stakeholder meetings held during the day.). Allow some time for the public/stakeholders to move around the room to review the displays or have casual conversationswith technical staff before the presentation begins.
  3. (7:15) Presentation begins with an introduction by the facilitator/moderator (approx. 5 minutes). Describe the format and summarize the agenda for the public meeting, any ground rules (such as no interrupting, raise hands for questions, etc.), the location of exits and bathrooms, what to do in case of an emergency and any refreshments.Remind the participants about filling out comment cards and about other ways they can participate in the district’s hazard mitigation planning process or provide feedback.
  4. (7:20) Presentation(s) explaining the purpose of the hazard mitigation plan, the timeline, any topical areas that will be addressed, and how the stakeholders input will be utilized. Allow for clarifying questions. Conduct planning activities related to topical presentations, such as to confirm Hazard Mitigation Plan goals or to brainstorm and prioritize mitigation strategies.
  5. (8:00) Questions from the audience. The facilitator will receive and direct questions from the audience to the appropriate member(s) of the district’s mitigation planning team. A dialogue may occur depending on the number of people and the nature of the questions.
  6. (8:15) Provide additional time for people to walk around and view the stations and direct questions or converse with members of the district’s mitigation planning team.
  7. (9:00) Adjourn the meeting.

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