Half Moon Bay Schedules 'Listening Sessions'

From the City of Half Moon Bay: The City Council of Half Moon Bay invites all community members to attend a "Listening Session" in March, and to share their own vision for the City's priorities in the upcoming year. The purpose of these sessions is for the City Council members to hear directly from the people who live and work here, and gain a broad range of community input on what people feel are the critical priorities the City should be focusing on. A comment form will be available at www.hmbcity.com/listen as of March 10 for input from community members who are not able to attend a session

To make it convenient for everyone to participate, three sessions have been scheduled. All three sessions will have the same content and offer Spanish translation.

• SESSION 1: Saturday, March 10, 10 am - noon, Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue
• SESSION 2: Sunday, March 11, 10 am - noon, Emergency Operations Center, 537 Kelly Avenue
• SESSION 3: Thursday, March 15, 5 - 7pm, Canada Cove Community Center NOTE: parking for the March 15 session will be available at a nearby offsite location to be announced, and the City will shuttle attendees to the community center (there is no parking within Canada Cove) - check hmbcity.com/listen for the parking location.

The City Council will integrate this input into its discussions when it revisits its existing set of priorities at the Council meeting on March 20, 2018, as development of next fiscal year's City budget begins. That discussion will center on how to incorporate new ideas, issues, and concepts gained from community members at the three Listening Sessions.

"At these sessions the City Council members will learn from the community. We're not there to talk - we're there to listen," said Half Moon Bay Mayor Deborah Penrose. "It's a wonderful partnership opportunity, where people can offer their thoughtful, productive comments and ideas on where the City's priorities should be focused in the next year. I hope many, many people participate, and help us to realize our community vision, together."

Each session will provide initial time for attendees to review displays offering an overview of existing City Council Priorities, and City departments and operations. After a welcome by Mayor Penrose, the entire group - including attending City Council members - will be invited to sit down. Facilitators will assist in the process of inviting each community member to provide their comments. As a Listening Session, rather than engage in a back-and-forth dialog, the goal will be to foster a great deal of direct input from the community to the City Council members.

Community members who cannot attend one of these three Listening Sessions are invited to view the same display materials and provide their comments at www.hmbcity.com/listen. A comment form on that page will be available as of the date of the first Listening Session, March 10.

Located 28 miles south of San Francisco, the City of Half Moon Bay is a community of about 12,000 people, situated on the peninsula between forested hills and some of the most beautiful coastlines that California has to offer. Its historic Downtown is home to numerous shops, art galleries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and other businesses, and its celebrated beaches and parks are wonders of nature, accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians. With its many activities and events, beautiful natural scenery, old-town charm, and abundance of retail and commercial services, Half Moon Bay is a regional destination. The City's website is www.hmbcity.com.

Image courtesy of the City of Half Moon Bay