I previously highlighted the need for a second Google meeting and highlighted several objectives for that meeting. Unfortunately the City isn’t on board. I just received this from Denise Turner who is heading up the project,
“Ryan, I don’t think our timeline allows time for a second meeting. I understand your concern and am working diligently to get a comprehensive site up that will give the public a place to retrieve information and connect to others. As we just had the public meeting and a lot of good press a few days ago, I think the energy and the number of people joining the facebook site is a positive for this effort. We also received a lot of feedback at the meeting, and subsequently, that will help us determine the direction of the RFI and the ‘why’ for Google in Greensboro.”
It’s great to hear that the City is working on a comprehensive site; that’s a step in the right direction.
As to that second meeting to pull everyone together and create a more unified effort… an idea is probably all it will ever be.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Ryan, it doesn’t look like there is much hope for a “unified” message or effort to come out of wide community input. For one thing, the community interested in taking part in that step is limited, for another thing, it sounds like the city is moving toward some goal posts without waiting for additional advice. And look, as Denise notes, the public has had a chance to offer their two cents at an early stage.
May I suggest that you slightly redirect your effort? What about a meeting to discuss how we, as independent grassroots freelancers, can pool our efforts? One thing I’d propose at such a meeting is “adopt a big wig,” where each of us sign up to encourage, prod and enable some person of stature in the community to produce some kind of written, audio or video expression of support for this pursuit. People like university presidents, business CEOs, media moguls, institutional leaders, etc.
I’m sure other people have ideas that they might want to recruit others to help with.
I’d find that kind of meeting potentially beneficial and I’d come if you set it up.
Ryan,
I agree with Roch. We need a “big wig” to step forward from one of our targeted economic development sectors in accordance with our economic development strategy. They would need to make the case for how this advancement would impact their business or institution. Not only would it get the city staff’s attention but it would probably provide broader ripples.
In addition, I think aside from the Google initiative…we really need to have a discussion about how to move this city into the new century. Almost every candidate in the last municipal election touted “Transparency/Efficiency”…things that can only be delivered without additional cost through the implementation of new technology and advancement.
The issue and need is there and felt by many in the city…Google provides the centerpiece for the conversation but the effort shouldn’t end there. That is the key piece of what the city staff doesn’t understand. They are prepared to float an RFI out there of which there is a small percentage of success. If folks want what is being considered, why not organize around the concept with or without Google.
If Google can make it easier for us to implement, then we should work with them…but if there is a need and desire to move in this direction, then we can move beyond Google and accept responsibility for the effort and move our city forward together.
DJ
Roch, I agree about the chance of a unified message. Let me give the meeting some additional thought and see if we can pull something together.
DJ, can’t say I disagree with you at all.
Roch/DJ, I was really hoping to see something happen here that was bigger than simply Google, or coming up with ideas. I wanted to see various groups come together and play off each others strengths, share ideas and work towards a common goal. Doing so would have brought new people together, created a broader/more unified information source and also given us a little practice for the next time something of this nature comes up.
I also think this experience (as it continues to evolve) highlights that Greensboro (the City) could use a little help when it comes to marketing and building campaigns. Hopefully when this is all said and done (no matter the outcome), the City will look back and review what worked, what didn’t and what could have been done differently.
There may be advantages, real advantages, to doing some things independent from a centralized effort. Imagine Google looking at two cities trying to gauge community interest, one city has some crafted message with “representatives” of the community speaking up; the other city has a slick message with representatives of the city speaking up and a vibrant, genuine grassroots community all abuzz. Who stands out?
I agree with you both that this can and should lay the groundwork for recruiting some faster and better internet alternatives should Google go elsewhere. We recognized the need for this a year ago when Time Warner Cable wanted to put us on tiered pricing. No progress has been made since then.