Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Newburyport, July 1, 2007 ~ Notice regarding the recent Public "town meeting" Forum's "follow-up conversation" which will be held in Newburyport City Hall Auditorium on Thursday, July 12 beginning at 7 p.m.

Combining status and strategy, this session will further examine the inter-related issues of expenses, revenues and economic development addressed during that June 14 public forum, and at the City Council's FY08 budget review and approval which followed on June 18. Based upon current fiscal projections, this seminar will anticipate the challenges and choices ahead and further discuss methods for achieving a cohesive municipal and financial planning process which were introduced during the public forum.

As Jefferson declared, "Information is the currency of democracy" and so the informal exchange between city officials and concerned citizens will include an open discussion about ways to better communicate as a community, while exploring short and long-term approaches toward that goal.
These public forums and corollary conferences are organized to encourage civic (and civil) discourse that will help set a course of action. For more detail about the June 14 Public "town meeting" Forum and its "follow-up" on July 12, visit the Comity.org Web site.

Communications ~ forwarded in a Motion of Comity

Please read bold text for quick review.

Some content in this communication may be taken/tailored from extant material.

This communication is a retransmission of a prior exchange which in turn may be forwarded to other parties (with a foreword) and further disseminated. [Those earlier exchange(s) had blind-copied a partial distribution list of forum participants opting further contact via email.] Apologies extended for any unintended duplicate messages received.

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IN BRIEF: This communication makes a connection with those who participated in the June 14 Public "town meeting" Forum --- and serves as a reminder about that forum's "follow-up" --- a combined status/strategy session which will be held Thursday, July 12 at 7 p.m. in City Hall Auditorium.

Please see footnote * for press release and refer to www.Comity.org for further detail.

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IN DETAIL: Making this "comity connection" to thank participants for joining in that June 14 Public "town meeting" Forum. While the first meeting (held during the FY08 budget process) focused on the city's fiscal matters, this follow-up conversation will expand on some of the issues and ideas that warrant further discussion --- as anticipated at the forum's conclusion and cited by local media ---
Excerpt of media coverage in The Newburyport Daily News (6/18/07 issue, page 6, entitled "NEWBURYPORT CITY NOTEBOOK, by Nick Pinto, Staff Writer):

"Mayor John Moak, other city officials and several dozen residents (see footnote **) gathered at City Hall on Thursday night for a meeting on the city's finances.

"The event … served both as a crash course in municipal revenue and expenditure and as a forum in which residents could ask questions about and propose solutions to the city's financial problems. But the overarching purpose of the meeting … was to improve communication within the community and between city officials and residents. More meetings are planned to continue the discussion about how to improve the city's civic dialogue. For more details, visit www.Comity.org."

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IN FURTHER DETAIL: "For the record" --- visit the Comity.org Website --- ("Public Forums & follow-up ~ Notices, Recordings & Links" from Comity.org home portal) --- and from there information/insight about the public forum (which was held June 12) and its follow-up to be held July 12. Please check back for updated information.

In regards to the link to the Public Forum's PowerPoint presentation and the transcribed recordings of the discussion points --- along with additional notes and hyperlinks posted immediately after the June 14 forum:

While these Comity.org links will be updated with current information/status, the June 14 public forum PowerPoint presentation slides are unchanged, with the following exceptions:

Added a hyperlink for www.Comity.org to note where to review the transcribed recordings of each "discussion point" (General Finances, Economic Development and Schools) and ---

Took the liberty to edit Comity's suggested tagline on the presentation's first screen: "An opportunity to come to a meeting of the minds" --- changing the article "the" to "a" (meeting) ---

For, as an "article of faith" --- let us hope that the 6/14 Public "town meeting" Forum and the 7/12 follow-up conversation will be the first of many opportunities to continue the civic (and civil) discourse --- and set a course of action.

Your continued participation will be key.

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* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NEWBURYPORT: Notice regarding the recent Public "town meeting" Forum's "follow-up conversation" which will be held in Newburyport City Hall Auditorium on Thursday, July 12 beginning at 7 p.m.

Combining status and strategy, this session will further examine the inter-related issues of expenses, revenues and economic development addressed during that June 14 public forum, and at the City Council's FY08 budget review and approval which followed on June 18. Based upon current fiscal projections, this seminar will anticipate the challenges and choices ahead and further discuss methods for achieving a cohesive municipal and financial planning process which were introduced during the public forum.

As Jefferson declared, "Information is the currency of democracy" and so the informal exchange between city officials and concerned citizens will include an open discussion about ways to better communicate as a community, while exploring short and long-term approaches toward that goal
These public forums and corollary conferences are organized to encourage civic (and civil) discourse that will help set a course of action. For more detail about the June 14 Public "town meeting" Forum and its "follow-up" on July 12, visit the Comity.org Web site.

** From his ken (perspective) in the Auditorium, Ken counted more than sixty concerned citizens --- (a tally confirmed by others present) --- joining the Mayor and participating city officials in this "exercise of the body politic."