[RP TownTalk] EXT : Town Talk and Town Announce

Mon Jun 4 15:15:45 UTC 2012

I don't mind Town Announce and Town Talk being combined as one list.  Was not even aware of Town Announce existence.  I appreciate the notices about the town meetings etc.  The Crier arrives in the mail and most of the events/meetings listed have already taken place.  As Ms. Kelly suggested, the Crier should be sent electronically also.  One can always hit the "delete" button.  Thanks.

Sherene McDougall

From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Vernon Archer
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2012 10:52 AM
To: TownTalk
Subject: EXT :[RP TownTalk] Town Talk and Town Announce

Greetings to all interersted in discussion about Town Talk and Town Announce,

Kate Kelly and I have been having a discussion on this topic, and we agreed that our off line conversation  might well be useful to others as you consider how best to utilize YOUR resources.

Best wishes,

Vern
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <varcher at gmail.com<mailto:varcher at gmail.com>>
Date: Mon, Jun 4, 2012 at 8:45 AM
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Fwd: Fwd: [RP Town Announce] Step Program
To: Kate Kelly <mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>>
Cc: Jonathan Ebbeler <jebbeler at riverdaleparkmd.gov<mailto:jebbeler at riverdaleparkmd.gov>>

Looks like Jonathan has taken it to the list and ill happily follow what ever changes may come from a broader debate. I appreciate your thoughts and look forward to a review of town policy.
Sent on the Sprint(r) Now Network from my BlackBerry(r)
________________________________
From: Kate Kelly <mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 08:17:22 -0400
To: Vernon Archer<varcher at gmail.com<mailto:varcher at gmail.com>>
Cc: Jonathan Ebbeler<jebbeler at riverdaleparkmd.gov<mailto:jebbeler at riverdaleparkmd.gov>>
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Fwd: Fwd: [RP Town Announce] Step Program

Hi, Vern,

I understand your argument. And I still disagree. I didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else ought to flout the rules. I meant to suggest that the rules are outdated and need to be changed.

A long time before you came to Riverdale, there was a resolution against trick-or-treating. I thought that was ridiculous so I asked my neighbors what they thought, and we took a bunch of kids around neighborhood, knocking on doors one Halloween. What we learned that night was that the kids like it and so do the grownups. The resolution might or might not still be on the books--I don't know, and I don't much care--but Halloween, and La Dia de los Muertos, lives in our town.

Your generation of elected officials and government workers has been given the unenviable task of figuring out how to provide more information to more people through more channels faster and more accurately. I don't envy you, but I do think it's your job.

But I STILL don't understand why my posting information to TownTalk is any more acceptable than having someone in the office do it.

KK

Thanks again.
KK

Mon, Jun 4, 2012 at 5:51 AM, Vernon Archer <varcher at gmail.com<mailto:varcher at gmail.com>> wrote:
Kate, sorry, this is a little out of time but I had a long planned get away this weekend to the Catoctin Mountain and return feeling refreshed and ready to address end of school, budget, and concerns of constituents!

Anyway, where we were.......

You are one person I'm happy enough to let rant!

Now there is at least one item that you are simply wrong about:Council resolutions are 100% binding on the town government--staff and mayor.

I have never knowingly violated a resolution in fact, or to my ability to interpret the spirit of a resolution either. I most certainly never will violate a directive from the council (knowingly) whether it comes from resolution, motion, ordinance or charter amendment.

Equally, town policy can change through a new resolution(s). Should the town council direct the government to do things differently, I and town staff will follow that direction.

What I write below is subject to my memory of events in 2006-2007 and is likely imperfect, but never-the-less substantially correct. The committee that oversaw the process, and then the council itself, received substantial input that suggested many residents did not want the "chat" of Town Talk as it then existed, and simply wanted authoritative posting of what the government was up to--scheduled meetings, agendas, etc.  Other members of the community were completely opposed to having the list cluttered up (in their opinions) with lots of government pronouncement that they were not interested in getting sent to their email.

There was evidence that people were leaving Town Talk, as it then existed, because they were turned off by getting too much information that they did not want. I recall several comments about "cluttering up my inbox"

Thus, the answer of splitting Town Talk off with Town Announce as separate was arrived at in part to allow residents to select one or both of these lists.

Again, should the council decide to change its policy, I will gladly comply and make sure that the government as a whole does.  I personally believe that the community as a whole is well served by existing policy.

One thing I do plan to do periodically, which I have not done for a while, is to remind folks on Town Talk that Town Announce is there and encourage them to take the 30 seconds to sign up if they are interested.

Best wishes,

Vern

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 7:27 AM, Kate Kelly <mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>> wrote:
Yep. And resolutions are not law.

The way people get news has changed, and so should the approach to how it's delivered. In my opinion, Sara's note was exactly the kind of thing that the town's government--elected or hired--should be posting to TownTalk regularly. No one should be waiting for me to do it. That announcement should have been posted simultaneously, as should all meeting announcements, agendas, and minutes (which have gotten far too terse in the past few years to be informative, but that's another argument); budgets; birthdays; crime statistics; good news; bad news; all news.

There is no such thing as too much information. If you need a separate TownTalk thread--Official Town News or whatever--go ahead. If you need to change the name from TownTalk to News From and About Riverdale Park, do that. If you need to create daily blog that goes to every single subscriber of both lists and is linked to the Patch and available by RSS feed from the town's Web site, what does it matter, so long as people are kept informed?

If you want participation, people need to know what's going on and be assured that their voices are heard. What we need is more news, not less.

You guys down there at the end of Queensbury are the only ones with universal access. And even when it's not the case, it looks like you are withhold important data. You should be sharing more, not less, with the town's people. Everything should go to TownTalk, TownAnnounce, the Crier, and to the Gazette and Patch as well. For that matter, the Crier should be delivered physically and by email. There should be a press release every time there's a public meeting, event, or notice of any kind. And while I'm having pipe dreams, if I had a magic wand, all of the Web site,TownTalk, TownAnnounce, and the Crier would be in Spanish and English.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Kate

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 6:13 AM, Vernon Archer <varcher at gmail.com<mailto:varcher at gmail.com>> wrote:
Hi Kate,

This post is the kind of thing that I would paraphrase and put on town-talk if someone like you--someone clearly outside of the government--did not forward it to Town Talk.  I'll talk this program up a good deal over the coming months in general.

Please recall that use of both Town Announce and Town Talk are directed by clearly stated council resolution. These policies were developed with significant public input both through an advisory committee and discussion in council meetings in 2006-07.   Town Announce was created as the means for official announcements from the town government--such as schedules, agendas, policy statements, and announcements of interest.  By having this voice as clearly separate from Town Talk readers can be clear that they are getting official information directly from the government and not "chat".

Town Talk as you know is a mediated list that encourages/facilitates conversation and info sharing between residents. Town employees are specifically not to post to, nor engage in discussions on this list. While elected officials do comment on actions, issues, problems on Town Talk, their postings are not "official" government announcements. We are just residents like you sharing our thoughts and knowledge.

I can assure you that I did not agree with every section of the policy ultimately passed by the council, but I do agree that it is correct to have a clear distinction between official government announcement and the conversation/discussion between residents. I'm certainly happy enough that you have decided as a resident to forward on town announcements.

Best wishes,

Vern

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012,  <mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>> wrote:
> I just sent this to Town Talk. I am hoping it's a duplicate posting (if it is, I apologize), but if it is not, seems like it should be.
> Don't you agree?
> Kate Kelly
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>
> Date:
> Subject: Fwd: Fwd: [RP Town Announce] Step Program
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org<mailto:towntalk at riverdale-park.org>
> CC:
>
>
>> This just in from Sara Imhulse in the town office.
>> Looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing this, Sara!
>> Kate Kelly
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Kate Kelly kelly.kate at verizon.net<mailto:kelly.kate at verizon.net>>
>> Date:
>> Subject: Fwd: [RP Town Announce] Step Program
>> To: mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com<mailto:mrs.ahkelly at gmail.com>
>> CC:
>>
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Begin forwarded message:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > > From: "Waverly Pollitt" wpollitt at riverdaleparkmd.gov<mailto:wpollitt at riverdaleparkmd.gov>>
>> >
>> > > Subject: [RP Town Announce] Step Program
>> >
>> > > Date: May 30, 2012 1:04:30 PM EDT
>> >
>> > > To: townannounce at riverdale-park.org<mailto:townannounce at riverdale-park.org>>
>> >
>> > >
>> >
>> > > The Town of Riverdale Park is working on developing a new energy program for town residents, called Riverdale Park's Small Town Energy Program (STEP).  To make sure this program reflects the needs of Riverdale Park residents, we are putting together a small "focus group" meeting to discuss key elements of the program and how it can best help residents save energy and make their homes more energy efficient.  This meeting is to refine the STEP program, and is not a sales meeting in any way.  The meeting will take 90 minutes and we will compensate you $50 for your time. The meeting will take place at Town Hall, on the evening of Tuesday, June 5.  We will provide refreshments.  You must be a single family homeowner.  Call 866-758-6289<tel:866-758-6289> (tollfree) to find out more or to volunteer / register (space is limited to 20 and you MUST be pre-registered to attend).
>> >
>> > >
>> >
>> > >
>> >
>> > > Sara Imhulse
>> >
>> > > Town Administrator
>> >
>> > > Town of Riverdale Park
>> >
>> > > 5008 Queensbury Road
>> >
>> > > Riverdale Park, MD 20737
>> >
>> > > 301-927-6381<tel:301-927-6381>
>> >
>> > >
>> >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> >
>> > > TownAnnounce mailing list
>> >
>> > > TownAnnounce at riverdale-park.org<mailto:TownAnnounce at riverdale-park.org>
>> >
>> > > http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/townannounce
>> >
>> >

--
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland

--
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland
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