Ad hoc Town Meeting Technology Committee

Members and Associate MembersKevin GleasonDonna JonesKevin O’BrienDavid RosenbergCiCi Van TineRalph White

Report to theMay 2011 Annual Town

Meeting

Purpose of the Ad hocTown Meeting Technology Committee

• Research, report and make proposals to Town Meeting and the Moderator regarding use of technology to increase voter education, participation and ease of operation of Town Meeting.

• With the approval of the Moderator, implement any changes or improvements to use technology for these purposes that do not require Town Meeting approval.

The Norfolk Warrant Discussion Forum

• Web-based structured discussion

• Organized by warrant article

• World readable

• You need a (free) logon account to post

• All comments are attributed to posters by their real names

• It WORKS!

The URL of theNorfolk Warrant Discussion Forum

http://norfolk.onlinetownhalls.com

We have an evolving prototype

• We’d like more publicity and fanfare

• We’d like to see more active participation

• We need more input about making it better

A warrant discussion might include:

• The background motivating the article• The text of the article• The text of the recommendation(s)• Discussion and Q & A about the article• Advocacy for and/or against the article• Pictures, spreadsheets, or PowerPoint slides• Audio/video clips with relevant information

(such as a tour of the site, a demonstration of the problem, an example of a similar solution or proposal, a model or a prototype, etc.)

We Need Additional Members

• People interested in technology• People knowledgeable about marketing• Publicists (print and electronic media)• User liaisons• Visual and audio media editors• Others interested in

Planning Promoting Advocating