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PROFESSOR: Distinguished
members of the city council--

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good morning, and thank
you for meeting with me.

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As you know, we will be working
with a municipal planning

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agency in the drafting of the
new master plan for the city.

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I address you today because as
a first step in the process,

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our team requires the council's
full support in what we believe

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is the best planning framework
to achieve the city's two

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primary objective--
economic development

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in the long term and
short-term pollution reduction.

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We are aware that
not just the city,

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but a different
set of stakeholders

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must work together
in order to counter

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the impacts of the regional
wastewater treatment plant

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and the runoff from
agricultural activities

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upstream that currently
discourage investment

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in the city.

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With this in mind, we
propose a combination

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of community planning assisted
by consensus building exercises

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as a pivot for design and
implementation of the new plan.

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I will spend the
next few minutes

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explaining how
participation will

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enhance the value of the plan,
highlight aspects of community

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building for this
space, and conclude

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with a particular focus
we will use for your city.

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Having worked over 15
years in planning efforts

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and over 20 different
cities, my experience

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has taught me that meaningful
public participation

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is the seed of successful
implementation.

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Many times I have seen
sophisticated master plans

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neglecting this fact
and as a result,

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waste of taxpayers' money
because the community perceives

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the method as being unfair.

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When plans do not connect
assessment and design

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with public will,
this often ends up

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hindering economic development
by giving way to social unrest

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and expensive delays in plans.

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Money spent on a planning
process instead of a planning

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report can truly be
called investment

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in the public interest.

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Participation has a
triple bottom line.

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It brings additional skills
to the planning table,

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it provides alternative
insights to diminish

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risk of economic
failure, and generates

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learning and
cooperation networks

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that transcend the plan itself.

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We will pursue these benefits
through a community planning

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exercise where a neutral body
will map the main stakeholder

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groups surrounding
our polluted river.

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Peers within the groups
will choose a representative

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that will participate in
having an informed discussion

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about the alternatives for
environmental improvement

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of the city.

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I am aware that public
participation is not

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deeply ingrained in local
institutional culture.

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In fact, initial
conversations with the staff

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indicate some reserve.

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This is not unusual
because of narrow

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and procedural applications
of public presentation

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elsewhere have definitely
set a poor precedent.

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In the absence of
proper management,

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public hearings
and consultations

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are often inefficient and only
yield superficial discussions.

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Other times the are held hostage
by the best organized groups.

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With such references,
I find it to be

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very understandable
for any of you

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to take public participation
with some degree of skepticism.

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In order to address
these concerns,

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my team and I will
combine community planning

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with consensus
building exercises.

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In comparison to
other strategies,

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this framework will
use a mutual mediator

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that will add credibility and
efficiency to the process.

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Strive for plurality instead of
statistical representativeness,

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which is not only
expensive but also

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ensures that there is a level
playing field preventing

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majority rules.

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The mediator will curate
participating groups early

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in the process
ensuring a fair voice

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that reflects your
economic concerns

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and also that ensures that
the rich, racial diversity

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of the city is
represented at the table.

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Finally, this framework will
guarantee recommendations

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that are feasible because
all will be required

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to be grounded on a
technical expertise provided

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by an advisory committee.

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Due to little experience with
participation in the city,

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the outline of the
process we proposed

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is similar to the one we
very successfully used

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in Hampton, Virginia, where
there was emphasis in learning.

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Participants will be trained
about river pollution,

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the implications of
green investment,

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and different alternatives to
promote economic development.

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This will enable full and
detailed participation

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in the discussion on the
proposed Will alternatives.

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We are not asking you to give
up authority in this matter.

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You remain the ultimate
decision-makers

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to weigh these proposals
on their merit.

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This exercise is
for, and you will

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have an unprecedented insight to
a range of the concerns of all

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of your constituents.

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I do request, however,
your endorsement

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to a public commitment
that considers

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the inclusion of the
negotiated recommendations

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in the new plan.

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I conclude by pointing
out that this method is

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relatively inexpensive
as compared to others.

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An assessment does not
need much time or money.

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Furthermore, investment
and consensus

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yields great
legitimacy and trust.

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And with this, the
greatest opportunity

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to achieve fair, efficient
wise and stable commitments

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to come and go.

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Thank you.

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[APPLAUSE]