Community Forum Report
To understand the outcome of the community forum, or the Warren County Town Meeting as it was called, the planning committee, the committee's process, and the events happening before, during and after the forum are provided.
Approximately 8 weeks before the first committee meeting, AOCD team members drafted a preliminary list of providers and community members who voiced an interest in helping plan the forum. The initial list was composed of providers interviewed in the fall, community members present at focus groups, and community members we met while working in Warrenton. The AOCD team aimed for a diverse group of 10-15 committee members, and secured thirteen active community members at final count. Of the original list of volunteers, several either could not join because of schedule conflicts or lost interest. This did not present a problem, however, because several people who were not on the original list of volunteers came to the committee meetings and remained active, integral members of the committee. On average, 5-8 committee members attended each meeting.
To prepare for the forum, the AOCD team facilitated seven meetings with committee members, roughly one per week. The structure for the meetings is outlined in Table 2. It is important to note that the structure and frequency of meetings was determined by the previous meeting's most pressing needs. AOCD team members drafted the agenda, facilitated the meetings, took minutes, and sent out meeting reminders before each meeting.
The AOCD team felt it crucial that the community take ownership of pursuing change for Warren County. Throughout the planning period, AOCD team members and the WCPC defined the roles each should play before, during, and after the forum. All involved were keenly aware of the delicate balance needed to sustain momentum after the forum. AOCD team members made it clear they would not be able stay because their class was ending. The committee accepted this and planned a "passing of the torch" ceremony at the end of the forum.
The committee members' perceptions of their role following the forum evolved during the planning process. In the beginning, WCPC members knew they wanted to take action on the themes uncovered during the AOCD process. All agreed the themes were not new for Warren County residents, but that the citizens needed an opportunity to discuss the themes take organized action.
During the forum, community members discussed a collapsed list of themes and delineated a list of action steps. As participants arrived, they made a nametag, picked up a program, and were instructed to write one strength or positive aspect of Warren County on a piece of brown construction paper. They taped their strength up on the wall as a "root" at the bottom of a large tree reading "Warren County." Seven themes with relevant quotes were posted along the wall with sign up sheets. Participants then got food and signed up under a theme they wished to discuss later.
The meeting began with introductions and an icebreaker. An AOCD team member introduced the AOCD team, their purpose for being in Warrenton and Warren County, and the purpose of the forum. Members of the planning committee also introduced themselves. For the icebreaker, participants raised their hand if the statement read applied to them. Next, participants moved to small groups to discuss their chosen theme and develop action steps using "Force Field Analysis" (Hope and Timmel, 1995). AOCD team members took people through the process of identifying the current situation, a goal, and the helping and hindering forces which facilitate or hinder the community from reaching the goal.
Table 2. Warren County Planning Committee (WCPC) Meetings and Group Responsible
| Mtg | General Objectives | Decisions Made |
|---|
| 1 |  Present themes (AOCD)
Discuss what to do with these themes (all) |  Keep all themes but collapse some themes into single themes
Present themes to County Commissioners
Begin to plan a large town meeting |
| 2 | Conduct trial run of County Commissioners Presentation (AOCD)
Obtain feedback from WCPC
Discuss committee members' role in CC presentation (all) | AOCD team present themes and mention committee
One WCPC member present a summary |
| 3 | County Commissioner's Meeting
Present themes (AOCD) | AOCD team present themes and mention committee
WCPC would be in audience, not speak |
| 4 and 5 | Plan community meeting
Decide form of forum
Finalize handouts for forum
Finalize food arrangements
Finalize publicity plan
Pick themes to be discussed
Select assignments for community meeting | Form both small and large groups
AOCD drafts program and info sheet
AOCD team makes calls for food
AOCD team makes flyer, WCPC distributes flyer and publicizes by word-of-mouth
Table collapsing themes and giving assignments until next meeting
AOCD team drafts agenda and small group ideas
WCPC member brings a sample action plan |
| 5 | Finalize Forum Plans
Finalize agendaq Proofread handouts
Assign roles | Approve agenda and handouts
AOCD team conducts small and large group
AOCD team will "pass the torch" to WCPC at end
WCPC announces meeting May 8 |
| 6 | Community Meeting, April 24
Go over agenda
Volunteer for roles at meeting | AOCD team passes torch to WCPC for meeting closing
Roles taken by WCPC |
During the large group discussion that followed, each group summarized their final action steps and answered audience questions. See Appendix N for a detailed list of action steps. A few audience members questioned other groups on the details of their recommended action steps, but in depth explanations were not solicited. Perhaps this was due to limited time or to audience members desire to be accepting of others' work.
After all groups talked, the AOCD team made closing remarks and handed the remainder of the forum over to the planning committee. A committee spokesperson encouraged community members to get involved, tap into their existing resources, and take action. She announced the next meeting and encouraged everyone to attend. Attendees placed contact information and evaluation forms in boxes as they exited the meeting, which the committee collected to use for future planning.
The committee stayed after the forum to debrief and discuss the format of the next meeting. From the discussion and evaluation forms, all community members felt the forum was beneficial, but some were unsure it would lead to any change. The committee continued to discuss what their role should be, but could not reach a consensus. Some felt they should act as a resource for small splinter groups, providing support or practical skills for community organizing. Others felt immediate action needed to happen on one issue so that success would keep people interested. Others expressed concern that if people could not address "their issue," many would lose interest and the momentum would die.
Another issue raised was the structure and title of the committee themselves. They planned to elect a committee chair at the May 8 meeting in order to allow new committee members, those joining the effort after the forum, to run for leadership positions. It was not decided how they would function; "steering committee", "task force" and "coalition" were terms discussed during the debriefing. Almost every person returning an evaluation expressed interest in getting involved with whatever happened next, so the committee decided to meet again prior to the May 8 meeting to iron out as many of these issues as they could.
By the end of the forum, the planning committee had full control of what would happen next. Committee members assigned roles such as note taker, facilitator, and telephone caller for next meeting. Although members expressed uneasiness at taking control, they all agreed it was necessary if change was to occur. Although members have differing views on many issues, they seem committed to building a strong collaboration network within the community to affect change. All of the members have been frustrated with the lack of community and continue to demonstrate a sincere desire to bring about change instead of talking about it. The path will be difficult, as members have yet to decide their role in this process and the route they want to take to get there. As of yet, no clear leader has emerged, but committee members hope this will occur at the next meeting. Regardless of the outcome, the community has ownership of the results, and the committee believes ownership is a key to their success.
