Greg Redeker is a Real Estate Manager for Stott Outdoor Advertising.  Greg spent 20 years working for local government, most of that time as an urban planner.  He also served as a zoning administrator and was lead author for a comprehensive sign ordinance update.  Greg has written previous posts about working with city staff, submitting permit applications and responding to staff comments.  Today Greg shares 6 tips for participating in public hearings. He can be reached at gredeker@stottoutdoor.com.

1. Do your homework. Actively seek information about the approval body, the members, the way they conduct their meetings, and procedures and protocols.  Find out whether you’ll need to complete a speaker card, or how many copies you’ll need of any last-minute materials brought to the meeting.  Learn about the appeal process and deadline ahead of time, just in case.
2. Communicate with planning staff prior to the hearing. This can take many forms, depending on the relationship you have with the department.  It could be a friendly phone call to the staff planner seeking clarification or noting a minor error in the report, an e-mail with administrative staff regarding logistics for showing a PowerPoint presentation, or even a face-to-face meeting.  The important thing is that nobody enjoys being blind-sided at the public hearing, so avoid it if you can.  As said in my article on submitting applications, act professionally and reinforce your brand so that the planning staff will continue to feel positively toward you and your company.
3. If staff is recommending approval, keep it short. If you agree with the recommended conditions of approval, simply say so and then offer to answer any questions.  You may be perceived as a hero for being so succinct and helping everyone get home sooner.  There’s no need to trot out a PowerPoint if everyone appears to be leaning towards approval.
4. Be aware of different communications styles. Some members of the approval body may respond best to spoken words, while others prefer written documents or gravitate towards pictures and diagrams.  Make sure that the key elements of your project can be understood in multiple ways so that everyone is acting on your actual proposal.  In my experience, confusion or misunderstanding regarding the scope or elements of a project tends to make it more difficult for decision-makers to vote in favor of approval.
5. Be thankful, agreeable, respectful, and reasonable. You should not only adopt this attitude, but actually say these words when you step up to the microphone.  “Thank you for considering our application this evening…”  “We’ve read the staff report, and agree with the analysis…”  “We would respectfully ask that two of the conditions be modified…” “We believe that the proposed modifications represent a reasonable way to achieve the same end, but with reduced administrative overhead both for our company and for your planning staff…”
6. If staff is recommending denial, choose your words carefully. Try to respectfully note where you disagree with the analysis and findings in the report (as opposed to disagreeing with the planner who wrote them) and explain your case as best as you can.  Cite relevant information supporting your position that you submitted in writing at or prior to the hearing.  Speak and act in a way which will reflect well on you and your company in any minutes or administrative record which will be considered by a higher body on appeal.

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