NCompass Live - Aug. 29, 2018 http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/ In 2000, Parchment, MI, (population 2,000) lost its primary employer, a paper mill. Since then it has struggled to maintain services and a sense of community. After hearing many people chatting in the library with great ideas, but lamenting that "nothing ever gets done," the library started a monthly Town Hall meeting to turn those ideas into reality, with the motto, "We find and we fix". Join us to hear about the discussions and great projects that the Parchment Community Library has facilitated. "Enthusiasm, something we’ve had in short supply these past few years, is growing in our community!" Presenter: Teresa Stannard, Library Director, Parchment (MI) Community Library.

1. We Find & We Fix
Connecting a community
at the library

2. We Find & We Fix
 Who we are: The City of Parchment and the Parchment Community
Library
 How the Parchment Town Hall group began
 Firm but fair: everyone gets a say, no one voice predominates
 It’s not what you say it’s what you do: stay active with projects
 Start with a community survey
 Our first year
 Keep talking, keep networking, keep searching for paths to Yes
 Positive change is possible!

3. Who we are
 The City of Parchment and
the Parchment Community Library
Parchment, Michigan, pop.1800
Service area 10,000
Just north of Kalamazoo
“You Are Here” by Stephen Hansen
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Airport

4. Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company
 The City of Parchment and
the Parchment Community Library
Parchment, Michigan, pop.1800
Service area 10,000
Just north of Kalamazoo
“You Are Here” by Stephen Hansen
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek Airport

5. How the Parchment Town Hall group began
 The town formed around the paper mill in 1910 and the mill nourished a strong sense of
community for 90 years.
 The paper mill, our primary employer, closed in 2000 and took most of our tax base with it.
The residents voted to increase their property taxes rather than merge with Kalamazoo.
 The city has struggled but survived. The 2008 housing crisis saw many homes converted into
rentals. Our sense of community was waning. The library hosted a few annual “KVP
Reunions” and recorded oral histories but it wasn’t enough.
 Lots of people came to the library with good ideas and the same complaint: Problems don’t
get fixed.
 Started in July 2017 with a core group that I met through Facebook and we happily got the
new City Manager on board for the first meeting.
 Meets at the Parchment Community Library the 3rd Thursday each month.
 Our website is tinyurl.com/parhall. Free, created via Wix.com.
 We don’t have a Facebook page, but we actively post on community pages.

6. Firm but fair: no one voice predominates
 Recognize that vocal residents are passionate and care deeply about their town –
channel that energy into action.
 Announce at the beginning of every meeting that everyone will have a chance to
speak, but the moderator will intervene as needed to keep the conversation
moving.
 Keep the meeting short – aim for one hour.
 Focus on making change happen. Define a problem and immediately talk about
how to fix it. Ask for volunteers, form committees, make task lists, assign
homework, set deadlines. Positive action de-rails pessimism every time.

7. Firm but fair: no one voice predominates

8. It’s not what you say it’s what you do
 Stay active with projects. Projects achieve your group’s mission to improve your
community, and they attract positive attention which can lead to more volunteers,
more ideas, more improvements. Nothing succeeds like success.
 Publicize your projects on traditional media as well as social media as much as you
can. Don’t stop – keep news flowing into the media pipeline.
 Make every meeting task-oriented. Follow up on all questions raised in the
previous meeting. Make a to-do list at the end of each meeting. Keep everyone
engaged.

9. Start with a community survey
 We ran a SurveyMonkey survey as well as paper surveys in restaurants, community
events, special meetings. We asked “What are your top three ideas to make
Parchment a great place to live?” We received 100 responses.
 Once the survey is completed, make the results easily digestible before you publish
them. Share the survey results widely!
 Use the survey to publicize your group. Include your purpose and meeting dates
on every survey slip, poster, and web page.
 Mine the results for project ideas. We’ve used the survey to start projects such as
community social events, a city-wide garage sale, and to refurbish the sunken
garden in the park.

10. Start with a community survey
Instructions for volunteers conducting in-person surveys
Survey results

11. Our first year What we accomplished July 2017 - July 2018

12. Keep talking, keep networking,
keep searching for paths to Yes
 Trumpet your group’s existence, mission, and meeting times any way you can, and
as often as you can, and keep doing it. Even after a busy year of visible activity, I
have residents ask me about “this Town Hall thing” that they just learned about.
Media publicity is helpful, but word of mouth is best.
 Bring in as many ‘movers and shakers’ as you can. We’ve invited city
commissioners, our county commissioner, state officials, public safety officers,
school administrators, business owners, and church pastors to our meetings. They
may not be regular attendees and they may not volunteer, but now they know
about us and what we’re doing. You never know where or when these seeds may
sprout or what fruit they’ll bear.
 Invite the local media to attend a meeting and let them know about newsworthy
projects and events. Don’t forget your public access television station, local
magazines, free newspapers, radio stations, and local Facebook groups.

13. Positive change is possible!
The sunken garden in Kindleberger Park before the Parchment Town
Hall Group

14. Positive change is possible!
The sunken garden in Kindleberger Park one year later, thanks to the
Parchment Town Hall Group

15. Positive change is possible!
The sunken garden has been transformed with help from the Parchment Garden Club, the Kalamazoo County Master Gardeners, the
Parchment High School Soccer Team, Parchment residents, and donations from local greenhouses.
The annuals were planted with the enthusiastic assistance of our Daisy Scouts.

16. Resources
Teresa Stannard, Director
Parchment Community Library
401 S Riverview Dr. Parchment, MI 49004
Phone: 269 343-7747 x203
Email: tstannard@parchmentlibrary.org
URL: www.parchmentlibrary.org
Parchment Town Hall Group: www.tinyurl.com/parhall