Sue Lessard, town manager, Bucksport, Maine, tells a familiar tale of a small town struggling after a major industry closed its doors. With renewed focus on economic development but still searching for a way to reshape the town's identity, local government determined how to get out of the way when it comes to community engagement - Community Heart and Soul.

Jane Lafleur explains that it is a resident-driven process that relies on in-person interviews along with other digital methods to engage the entire population of a town. This identifies what is most loved about the community, the future the residents want for it, and how to achieve it. Local government can secure grant funding and provide the infrastructure.

The result is participation based on positives, not complaints, and real data to inform council decisions. 

Resources

Apply for a $10,000 seed grant for communities under 30,000 population

Obtain Community Heart and Soul's free intro book or email them at [email protected]

ICMA's Local Government Reimagined initiative and conferences

ICMA's Strategic Planning in Small Communities: A Manager's Manual