Westborough Civic Issues Forum Charter

Welcome to the Westborough Discussion Forum for Westborough, Massachusetts! Here are posted the current thoughts and voices from your fellow residents of "The Hundredth Town." We invite you to browse and participate, and to learn and contribute. Just like when you encounter friends at the local salon or barber shop, or when waiting in line to sign-in for town meeting, this forum is a place to talk with your fellow neighbor and to also bring concerns and ideas to the light of a wider local audience for consideration and discussion.

Purpose

The purpose of the Westborough Civic Issues Forum is to identify and discuss civic topics of local public interest, and to exchange community announcements and information using our real names, with civility and respect..

Goals

The goals of Westborough Civic Issues Forum are:

• Improve awareness of the issues and opportunities in our town
• Give everyone a greater voice in the decisions that affect our community
• Increase civic participation
• Help encourage more input into solutions for local area problems

Typical Topics

Topics that you might find here to discuss include:

• Town Warrant Articles, prior to Town Meeting
• Thoughts and questions regarding proposed by-laws
• Recycling and conservation
• Recreation topics: benches, the Bay State Commons, bike paths, etc.
• Sidewalk snow removal and crosswalk safety
• Public Transportation
• What an Arts Center could make possible for the town

Participation Rules

By taking part in this forum, you accept the full rules of the forum.

Highlighted rules:

• All posts must be signed with your full name.
• Be Civil and Respectful - This is a public forum with real people. Respect for one another here is paramount. No ad hominem attacks. These are conversations in which we debate ideas. Criticize ideas, not the people behind them.
• No more than two posts per day, per member.
• No selling of products or services. Let's keep this an ad-free zone.
• No multimedia. If you wish to share outside sources, please link to them when possible -- don't paste them directly.

Forum Manager

The Forum Manager in Westborough Civic Issues Forum is Michael Hyde.

The forum manager is responsible for the general health and well-being of the list. The forum manager shall:

• enforce forum rules
• respond to participant questions
• listen to complaints or concerns
• encourage active participation
• maintain respectful tone of discussion

If you have any questions or concerns about the Westborough Civic Issues Forum, please contact us at: E-Democracy.Org

Membership and Roles

Membership of Westborough Civic Issues Forum is open to most anyone with an active relationship with the Town of Westborough, Massachusetts; our primary intent is to serve current town residents. That said, it's important to include others who also have a stake in the town's health and prosperity such as: elected officials, town employees, community leaders, and business owners. You must, however, be 13 years or older to participate. If you have specific questions about membership, please go ahead and register for the forum. After you complete the registration process, click on a Forum Manager's name and scroll down to the "Request email contact with..." link on their profile page. Select that link and follow the process to initiate contact with a Forum Manager. Thanks!.

The Westborough Civic Issues Forum Home Page shows the parts of Westborough Civic Issues Forum that can be seen and contributed to by members and non-members.

You are not a member of Westborough Civic Issues Forum. However, you can register and join Westborough Civic Issues Forum.

Who runs this Forum?

Forum Management will be initially handled by those members with the role of Forum Manager, until such time as an informal Steering Committee shall be identified to provide guidance, direction, and support to the Forum Manager.