Note: Select Board will be attending this meeting

Questions & Answers

Q: What’s happening?

A: You’re invited to a two-part community conversation!

Part 1:  Tues. Oct. 17

6:00 p.m. Free dinner!

6:30-8:30 p.m. Discussion

Identify local democracy priorities & hear creative ideas from other places

Part 2:  Sun. Nov. 5

1:00-4:00 p.m. Workshop

Prioritize ideas and plan next steps to strengthen our local democracy

Free food and kids’ activities at both events

Craftsbury Public Library, 12 Church Lane 

Q: What will happen at these events?

We need your ideas for strengthening local democracy and ensuring that everyone in Craftsbury is welcome and engaged. In these lively, facilitated discussions, join neighbors to share stories, discuss your top priorities, and develop ideas for strengthening local participation for all. We’ll also hear creative ideas from other towns.

Topics will include town meeting, voting, and identifying actions to support participation throughout the year. Through these workshops, Craftsbury residents will prioritize specific steps to act on now. We can also identify recommendations for study and future action.

We’ll have plenty of food, a kids’ space with adult supervision, plus a Zoom option, because we really want everyone to be able to participate.

Q: What if I can only come to one event?

A: These events are designed to build on each other, so it’s helpful if you can attend both. But hey, life happens. Please attend as fits your schedule.

Q: Who’s running these workshops?

A: In fall, 2022 the Craftsbury, Vermont selectboard formed a citizen committee to develop ideas for strengthening Craftsbury’s local democracy. Called the “Freedom and Unity Task Force,” the group decided to invite all Craftsbury residents to a two-part workshop. They are working with a team of discussion leaders:

Susan Clark (www.slowdemocracy.org) works with communities across the region to strengthen public engagement. She has researched and written extensively about local democracy and Vermont town meeting, and serves as town moderator of Middlesex VT.

Rebecca Sanborn Stone is principal and senior planner and engagement specialist with Community Workshop of Bethel VT www.communityworkshopllc.com . Rebecca is an expert in communications and creative placemaking, helping launch such projects as Bethel University, a community pop-up university.

Q: Why now?

A: After several years of disruptions—from Covid, to demographic shifts, to flooding, just to name a few—our community needs to hear everyone’s ideas.

In Craftsbury, democracy is a unique mix of face-to-face discussion and ballots, long-time residents and newcomers, tradition and change. What improvements would strengthen our ability to see, hear, and understand each other here in Craftsbury? If you could reinvent our town meeting, and local democracy throughout the year, what would you change?

This project is a pilot, and the coordinators are grateful to Craftsbury for their support in helping develop and improve the process. Hope to see you there!

Q: How do I participate via Zoom?

A: These events are designed for participation and neighbor-to-neighbor conversations, so in-person attendance is strongly encouraged. But if you need to attend via Zoom, we’ve got you. Use the link below to register for the Nov. 5 event.

Please register in advance (not during the meeting). Once you’ve registered you’ll receive an email with the meeting link and instructions.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkdOquqTsvHNT9F_1PzvtZNQxkU_Uns815

Q: Where can I find out more?

A: Email Wendy Turnbull at wrturnbull@gmail.com or call the Town Clerk’s office at (802) 586-2823.