The Town of Hopkinton is a community where interested and concerned citizens exchange thoughts and ideas about quality of life now and in the future. This is accomplished in an atmosphere of sharing and learning from one another, based on compromise and compassion, so that the problems faced by the citizenry are resolved in a way that reflects the intent of all its citizens.

Our Mission:
To create the processes and models that will promote this vision 
To achieve its implementation and facilitate its use
To advocate a commitment to civic engagement so that all citizens can better work together to attain their desired way of life

This nine member Committee was established on August 14, 2003. The Board of Selectmen is the appointing authority, and members’ terms are for one-year.

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	Flip chart data		Summary of Master Plan Forum		What Does Rural Character Mean to You?

Summary of 2003 Forum

On February 28 and March 1, 2003, 108 citizens of Hopkinton came together to share their visions for the town. They represented a full range of the town’s population, from high school seniors to senior citizens, newcomers to old-timers, and organizational representatives to citizens-at-large. The purpose of the event was not to reach decisions about the town’s future, but rather to begin a process of engaging citizens in reflecting on where they want the town to go and how they could get there.

The participants were supported by 15 volunteer facilitators from the town, representatives of the Board of Selectmen, and David Peter Stroh, a professional facilitator from Bridgeway Partners in Lexington. The meeting was hosted by Ron Eldridge, Chairman of the Civic Engagement Committee, which organized the event, and Eric Sonnett, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

What the participants wanted to get most from the forum was a sense of community – to think together in terms of “our agenda” instead of special interests, and to learn how democratic government can really work. They wanted to learn from each other – to listen as well as be heard, to understand the whole community instead of only its parts, and to experience communication without argument. They also wanted more data about town demographics, trends, and issues. Finally, they wanted a sense of momentum and follow-through that included clear action items and information they could take back to others in the town.

Equally important, they wanted to contribute their values, expertise, and creative ideas to make the meeting a success. In keeping with the goal of greater community, they wanted to create a better situation for the town as a whole, be part of the solution, and learn from different peoples’ perspectives. They proposed decision-making criteria of fairness and frugality – recognizing that resources must be shared wisely and equitably for them to feel good about their community. They wanted to share their expertise – bringing both expert knowledge and process skills. They also wanted to propose funding priorities considerate of the population as a whole and make recommendations about how to achieve these priorities.

During the first evening people got to meet each other in several creative ways. They learned about Hopkinton’s demographics and history from Chuck Joseph. They also reviewed guidelines for effective dialogue – specific behaviors to focus on the town as a whole and learn from each other. Participants were also asked to sit at four different tables during the event to expose them to a wide range of viewpoints.

On Saturday morning, the participants created their five-year vision for the town. They imagined their ideal pictures of the town individually and collectively, translated these images into 11 magnificent collages, and distilled the most important common vision elements from these pictures. The six most important aspects of their vision, in order of priority, were:

1.      Quality schools

2.      Revitalized downtown

3.      Maintaining rural character and open space

4.      Increased commercial and industrial tax base

5.      Fiscal responsibility

6.      Affordable housing

A complete list of vision elements and their rankings is in Appendix 1.

Participants were then asked to consider potential conflicts across the vision elements themselves. Most importantly, they expressed concern about:

·        Competition among priorities for the same funds

·        Maintaining open space and rural character while furthering economic development

·        Achieving financial stability while meeting educational needs

·        Gaining consensus on the vision priorities

·        Building affordable housing without putting additional strain on schools and other services.

The full set of possible conflicts is detailed in Appendix 2.

Participants also identified obstacles to achieving the vision. The five most critical obstacles in order of importance were: the residential tax burden, NIMBY (“not in my back yard”), infrastructure needs, a lack of understanding of town issues and initiatives, and apathy or a lack of citizen involvement. The full set of obstacles is listed in Appendix 3 in order of priority.

At this point in the meeting, people had three sets of data:

·        What they wanted to accomplish – the vision

·        Possible conflicts across different elements of the vision

·        Obstacles to achieving the vision

They were then asked to place themselves in the role of town officials who would have to make decisions about how to best achieve Hopkinton’s vision in light of the conflicts and obstacles. From this vantage point, they first proposed a set of criteria by which decisions should be made. Two criteria stood out in their deliberations:

1)      Think about the community as a whole. Comments included: “look at vision items collectively”, “balance the needs of competing visions”, “shared visions and burdens should be fair and equitable”, “[test that] the sum of our actions enhances the quality of life for the broad base of citizens, not just one segment”, and “consider the full impact of decisions [on different groups]; don’t divide the town.” A related topic focused on the importance of adequate representation in town decision-making and included such recommendations as “involve stakeholders in decisions” and “town government should represent the expressed interest of its citizens.”

2)      Manage resources wisely. This criterion emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility and covered four dimensions:

a)      Manage for overall impact. Officials were asked to consider the impact of financial decisions on the entire population, both short-term and long-term. They were also encouraged to “establish metrics and definitions for the 5 vision elements”, “be aware of the budget impact on achieving the vision”, and do a “cost/benefit analysis of the visions.”

b)      Protect essential services. People said, “define essential services; don’t cut essential services (cut non-essential services)”, “prioritize needs/essential services”, and “identify what are essential services for the common good, i.e. intergenerational, multi-functional”.

c)      Think creatively about revenue sources. This includes such recommendations as “no increase in taxes”, “no tax increase for seniors/all needs based”, and explore “non-residential taxes/new tax sources/non-tax sources of revenue.”

d)      Use existing resources more efficiently. Consider such alternatives as “full disclosure of costs for projects” and “full utilization of existing space/resources (personnel).”

Other decision-making considerations included: “does the action move us toward our vision?” and remember “water constraints/availability.” Original report-outs from the participants are in Appendix 4.

Participants were then asked to apply the decision-making criteria to developing creative solutions for achieving the vision despite the potential conflicts and obstacles.

They proposed solutions in five areas:

1)      More effective planning. For example:

a)      Investigating other town ideas; learn from experience and adopt as applicable

b)      Identifying minimum standards for vision elements

c)      Developing a town strategic plan

d)      Developing a plan to revitalize the downtown

2)      Develop alternative sources of revenue. Possible sources included:

a)      Encouraging new businesses through zoning, taxes, infrastructure, marketing Hopkinton, and revitalizing the industrial commission

b)      Revitalizing the downtown

c)      Reviewing all town fees, e.g. impact fees, licenses

d)      Establishing high impact fees for developers

e)      Creating or increasing user fees for such services as education, sports, trash (possibly encouraging recycling as well), and perhaps even Marathon Day

f)        Generating grants

g)      Increasing awareness of the Community Endowment Fund and Egan Fund match

h)      Inviting donations of land and publishing a list of things needed by town organizations that individuals or groups could donate

i)        Lobbying for state funds

3)      Improve fiscal management of existing funds. This included:

a)      Regionalizing service expenditures with other towns in the area

b)      Increasing efficiencies through such means as combining libraries and the use of other municipal space, centralizing purchasing, and maximizing vendor relationships

c)      Managing spending by such principles as tying increases in the school budget to increases of the commercial tax base, setting spending increases to the rate of inflation, and maintaining a 2-5% reserve fund in each department for the next 3 years

d)      Employing professional town management

e)      Following bylaws related to Capital Improvement and using a charter commission to reassess/alter bylaws to optimize government

4)      Engage citizens more effectively. Recommendations included:

a)      Better communication

b)      Education, including a course for adults on civic engagement

c)      Making town meetings more accessible to the public

d)      Establishing a permanent civic engagement entity to develop and promote the town vision

e)      Cultivating volunteerism (note: this may also have the benefit of reducing costs and taxes)

Other creative solutions included converting current housing to affordable housing, encouraging development of active adult communities (55+), and establishing housing for those 55+ or with moderate income. Retaining older citizens was viewed as both a tax benefit (they have no school age children) and a valuable source of experience for others. Raw data from participants on creative solutions is in Appendix 5.

When people looked back on what they accomplished during the meeting, they appreciated the sense of community that they had created together, the mutual respect that they demonstrated for others’ positive ideas, the amount of commonality among them, and the opportunity to talk to neighbors and listen to each other’s views. They observed that the process allowed for focus and creative thoughts, and that it represented a microcosm of what they need to do after the event. They also noted that it was important not to pre-judge their solutions; all suggestions need to receive full and fair consideration.

One important result of the meeting was that 42 people (40% of the participants) volunteered to help form a steering committee to follow up on the event and make civic engagement an ongoing process in the town.

Participants completed an evaluation form at the end of the forum, and the results showed an overwhelmingly positive response.  A summary of the evaluations can be found in Appendix 6.

Appendix 1: Vision Elements

Based on a maximum of 5 votes per person
Appendix 2: Conflicts Across the Vision Elements

Based on a maximum of 5 votes per person
Appendix 3: Obstacles to Achieving the Vision

Based on a maximum of 5 votes per person
Appendix 4: Decision-Making Criteria

Table 2

• Involve stakeholders in decisions
• Look at vision items collectively
• Be aware of the budget impact on achieving vision and making decisions

Table 3

• Follow fiscally responsible and proactive plan while moving towards vision
• Balance needs of competing “visions”
• Town government should represent the expressed interest of its citizens

Table 4

• Prioritize needs/essential services
• Full disclosure of costs for projects
• No increase in taxes

     (Personal control) and (what happens the year after…)

Table 5

• Establish metrics and definitions for the 5 vision statements/elements
• Revenue increases should preferably come from non-residential taxes
• Shared visions and burdens should be fair and equitable

Table 6

• No tax increase for seniors/all needs based
• Economize/efficiency focus
• Explore new tax sources

Table 7

• Consider full impact of decisions.  Consider schools and seniors, rural and commercial.  Don’t divide the town.
• Look for alternative funding sources: state, soccer association, federal, private donations
• Reconcile quality schools vs. fiscal responsibility

Table 8

• Full utilization of existing space/ resources (personnel)
• Identify what are essential services for the common good i.e. intergenerational, multi-functional
• Fiscal reality is on entire population

Table 9

• Is it fiscally responsible – short and long-term?
• Does the sum of our actions enhance the quality of life for the broadbase of residents, not just one segment?
• Does the action move us towards our vision?

Table 10

• Define essential services; don’t cut essential services (cut non-essential services)
• Look for non-tax sources of revenue
• Cost/benefit analysis of visions

Table 11

• Water constraints/availability
• No tax override
• Set minimum standards to maintain
• Plan facilities to serve multiple purposes

Appendix 5: Creative Solutions

Table 1

1- Develop ways of citizen engagement.

§         Communication

§         Education

§         All meetings open to public

2- New sources of revenue include nontraditional i.e. impact fees.
3-Encourage development of active adult communities (55+).
4-Encourage new business – zoning, taxes, infrastructure.
5- A “civic engagement” type continue as a permanent civic entity to develop and promote town vision.

Table 2

• Investigate other town ideas; learn from experience and adopt as applicable.
• Maximize the tax benefits thru revitalizing of downtown.
• Seek alternate sources of revenue (i.e. grant writer)
• Reevaluate Master Plan for wider implementation of ideas.

Table 3

1-Develop town strategic plan.
2-Follow bylaws in Capital Improvements.
3-Lobbying State funds.
4-Make town meeting more accessible to improve communications.
5-Revitalize industrial commission.
[Others on Table 3 list not numbered] 

• Sliding scale based on income.
• Limit town debt through improved financial planning.
• Improve use of cable television.
• Explore grants availability.
• Improve education and reach-out to small interest groups in town (HPTA, Womens’ club).

Table 4

*Tie increases of school budget to incomes of commercial tax base.
*Regional services.
*Impact fees.
*Volunteerism.
*Grant writing.
Other:

• Fee for service/third party outsourcing.
• Job sharing.

Ta b le 5

#1) Create more commercial zoning and more friendly commercial zoning.
#2) 2%-5% maintained in reserve fund by each department for next 3 years.
#3) High impact fees on developers.
Other:

• Spending increases set at rate of inflation.
• Increase recycling  - decrease garbage costs; consider “pay as you throw.”
• Dual tax rates which are uniform to other communities.

§         State funding for open space to concentrate all development and subsequent need for services

• Rezone for more density in commercial areas.
• No spot zoning
• Regional schools as a quality solution.
• Temporary overcrowding at schools, use commercial space.

Table 6

1- Administration expenses look at efficiency.
2- Regionalizing negotiation for contracts – maintain continuity.
3- Tie wages to performance.
4- +55 housing/cluster houses –moderate income housing tax benefit – no kids in schools retain age population.
5- Share open space with surrounding towns.
6- Regionalize department resources within/other towns.
7- Encourage recycling by developing trash fee.
8-Community fund raisers.
9-Investigate ^ [?]  rate of fees (i.e. beach pass).
10-Increase awareness of community endowment fund.
11-Search for a developer to invest in downtown (i.e. seaport).
12-Consult with other towns that have revitalized.
13- ^ [?] User fees for non-academic
14- Hire town manager to make decisions –professional management.
15- Chief Financial Officer.
16- More commercial zoning/professional office park.

[Table 6’s top five]

1-+55 housing/moderate income:  tax benefit (no school age children) and retain older citizens.
2-Increase commercial zoning/professional office park.
3-Regionalize resources with other towns and with Hopkinton depts.
4-Professional management – town manager/CFO.
5-Increase awareness Community Endowment Fund and Egan Fund match.

 Table 7

• Regionalize Services (or portions):  fire, school, police, water, DPW,  911:

            Other States; counties are more relevant/dominant.

            Examples that do and do not work.

• Sliding Scale taxation: 

Based on income?  Home evaluation.

Freeze taxes for fixed income citizens.

• Expand voluntary time to town, to reduce taxes.
• User fees: education, sports, trash, recycle?
• Incentives for small businesses, priority to Hopkinton residents in center of town.
• Creative zoning to build commercial/industrial areas.
• Seek alternative funding sources:  grants, donations, US soccer, car wash, sell spam.
• Reevaluate usage of Fruit Street.  Commercial/retail.

Table 8

• Fee for services that we currently don't charge and increased charges
• Public/regional partnerships with private sector
• Maximize community through neighborhood forums, communication/website. Look for database volunteers with area of expertise.
• Centralized purchasing. Maximizing vendor relationships. Professional town management.
• Marketing Hopkinton

Table 9

• Leverage industrial development with land donations.
• More fee based activities/services:
• Current services, i.e. trash pickup.
• New services, i.e. pool.
• Public wish list of things needed by town orgs that individuals or groups could donate.
• Use a charter commission to reassess/alter bylaws to optimize govt.
• Create volunteerism – look at new ways to use volunteers.
• Revitalize endowment fund
• Do what we need to do to bring in econ dev.
• Internal planning and marketing.
• External marketing to companies.
• Pay a buck to get into town on Marathon day.
• Boston Marathon marketing tie-ins.

Table 10

• Centralized purchasing for all departments.
• User fees for buses, athletics.
• Incentives to lure commercial activities.
• Review of all town fees e.g. impact fees, licenses.
• Emulate other towns.