Join our effort to improve community engagement in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Provide residents with clear, timely information about how decisions are made and how their input shapes outcomes, building a culture of openness between city government and the community.
Establish consistent, two-way channels between Beverly residents and city leadership so that information flows in both directions.
Create pathways for resident-driven initiatives to gain city backing, ensuring community projects have the resources, visibility, and institutional support they need to succeed.
Combat rumors and misunderstanding by making accurate, accessible information the default—when residents are informed early and often, misinformation loses its foothold.
Demonstrate through action that Beverly values resident voices, closing the feedback loop so people see their participation making a tangible difference in how the city operates.
Ensure every resident regardless of background, language, or neighborhood has a meaningful seat at the table when decisions are made that affect their lives and community.
Audit Beverly’s current engagement practices departments.
Survey residents, community organizations, and city staff to identify gaps—who is being reached, who is not, and what barriers exist.
Study peer city models, such as:
Hold pilot engagement/community listening sessions in Beverly’s neighborhoods, modeled after Nanaimo’s approach of designing each session around a specific consultation purpose.
Go to the community—use libraries, churches, schools, and civic/cultural events to reach populations who don’t typically attend City Hall meetings.
Organize findings into actionable themes and develop recommendations, such as:
Make information clear and accessible
Offer multiple ways for residents to give input
Show how input influenced decisions
Ensure hard-to-reach populations have equitable access
Provide city staff with training and resources for effective engagement
Author a formal report recommending that Beverly adopt a Community Engagement Policy grounded in principles developed with the community.
Potentially include recommendations such as:
Publish an annual engagement calendar
Create a digital engagement platform
Establish a permanent Community Involvement Commission
Require a public involvement statement for all major city decisions
Deliver the final report to the Mayor and Team with specific, adoptable policy recommendations.
Publish findings publicly to close the feedback loop with residents.
Propose an ongoing oversight role, such as a standing advisory committee, to monitor implementation and evaluate progress annually.
Help make Beverly better. Reach out to let us know your thoughts, or to sign up as a volunteer.