Livingston commission plans community town halls; staff proposes DEQ Superfund briefing

City staff and commissioners spent more than an hour shaping a proposed town-hall program intended to improve two-way engagement.

City staff told the commission the concept is to hold town halls across the city, usually on Tuesdays, with an informational presentation followed by community feedback. "We do actually pay, half of Trent's salary, through our budget," the manager said, and MSU Extension staff (Trent and Mary Ann) offered to facilitate sessions.

Commissioners debated three design questions: what the public should receive in advance, whether to hire a neutral moderator, and how to make sessions inclusive (sound, live polling and childcare/snacks). Some wanted a heavy technical topic such as the Burlington Northern shop Superfund plume to be the first town hall if the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) can present; staff said DEQ indicated April would work for a presentation.

"It involves different agencies and different levels of government," a commissioner said of the Superfund topic and urged careful preparation and an advance packet so the public could formulate questions. Others favored starting with a less technical topic to test format and process.

Staff said the commission has budget and resources to support a moderator and polling software, and volunteered to prepare standard packets and proposed ground rules before the first town hall. Commissioners asked that staff return with concrete logistics, outreach plans and accessibility measures before scheduling.

The commission instructed staff to proceed with planning and to return with an implementation plan and proposed dates.