By Carol Britton Meyer

The master plan steering committee met recently for the second time to hear project updates from Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) staff, which is providing technical assistance, and to begin thinking about ways to engage the community through an outreach campaign to raise awareness about the project.

The master plan is intended to guide the town’s decision-making for at least the next decade.

The year-long process, which will provide a foundation for making consistent decisions townwide, involves evaluating Hull’s strengths, identifying issues, challenges, and priorities, capturing the social fabric of the town, and envisioning the type of community Hull would like to be in the future.

A community engagement plan is being developed with guidance from community-based organizations. MAPC staff members are currently holding one-on-one interviews with members of these groups to understand the best methods to reach Hull residents and get them involved in the process, which will include a community survey. MAPC staff will also interview town employees.

The goal is to prioritize collaboration with residents and town leaders, “meet folks where they are,” integrate accessibility throughout the engagement process, and to engage in relationship building, according to the organization.

The process also places a priority on including input from as many individuals and organizations as possible, including Hull’s young people and seniors, as well as tourists and summer residents.

“What we want to hear is how we can do better,” noted Greg Grey, select board liaison to the committee.

“We’re trying to understand the kind of people who live and work here, what the local economy is like, and where people work and go to school,” said MAPC Senior Regional Land Use and Historic Preservation Planner Sarah Scott.

Committee serves as liaison to broader community

The steering committee guides the process, providing feedback to MAPC and the town. The planning board provides feedback to the steering committee and will adopt and implement the final plan.

The committee serves as a liaison to the broader Hull community, acts as a sounding board for the project team, provides feedback on the planning process and plan content, and acts as individuals – not representatives of a board, committee, or other entity.

“You are here because the town thinks you have a valuable perspective,” Scott told the steering committee members.

Under a “group agreement,” committee members will “listen for understanding, not disagreement; consider the opinions and experiences of others; bring a spirit of experimentation and creativity to the process; and respond, not react.“

The agreement is geared toward “feeling like everyone is on the same page and making decisions together,” Scott said, while encouraging committee members to think outside of the box. “There are big, complicated issues we will be talking about, and we would like [committee members] to share their thoughts and opinions.“

At Scott’s request, committee members were asked to suggest taglines for the community engagement campaign that could be enhanced later.

Suggestions included: “Your voice matters,” “Hull is planning its future now does it matter to you? If so, connect here,” “We're building a Hull of a comprehensive plan,” and “Bring your thoughts to shore.”

According to the outline of the process, there will be opportunities for community engagement from September through December.

For more details or to sign up for the email list that provides information and reminders about events pertaining to the master plan, visit www.mapc.org/resource-library/hull-master-plan.

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