‘Civility’ the theme of Ga. cities conference
Rome officials learn about communication and earn recognition at the annual event in Savannah.
As pundits around the country are decrying the tenor of our national conversation, Rome City Commissioners were considering the issue in depth at the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual conference in Savannah.
The theme of the four-day event: The Character of Cities — Civility, Kindness and Inclusion.
“They’re trying to get you to think how important it is for all of us to work together, to work beyond our differences,” Mayor Jamie Doss said Monday from Savannah. “There’s such a pull on our nation in terms of political parties. It’s destructive. People are so far apart and we all need to be role models to bring people back together.”
Commissioners praised the insights from the keynote speaker, National Public Radio host Celeste Headlee, author of “We Need To Talk — How To Have Conversations That Matter.” Headlee’s TEDx Talk, which shares 10 ways to have a better conversation, was listed as one of the most watched TED Talks in 2016.
“The rise of social media is affecting our ability to communicate,” Commissioner Craig McDaniel said. “You don’t get the full extent of a thought with just a text. I sell real estate and a good portion of what I do now is by text or email — but you build relationships face to face, talking about your grandkids, your football team and things like that.”
Commissioner Bill Collins said Headlee tied that disconnect to the changes in political discourse and offered some interesting food for thought.
“She saw the strain that has taken everybody by storm as people dividing into Democrat and Republican, even more than racism,” Collins said.
And when the interactions are via text or tweet, he said, there’s no opportunity for empathy.
“You can’t tell how people feel, their stress ... you’ve just got to read it,” he said. “We need
to start doing more together, to get back to what made us the greatest country on this planet. Trusting each other, respect, discipline ... It affects your success as a whole.”
The conference of elected officials and city staffers from across the state offered ample confirmation that face-to-face interactions are superior, Doss said. Presentations included panel discussions ranging from community development and cybersecurity to the challenges of a growing senior population and teens at risk of dropping out of school and the workforce.
“The biggest benefit for me is collaborating with the other elected officials,” Doss said. “There are a lot of good ideas and we want to hear every one of them.”
Among the other sessions were a look at how new state laws will affect the revenue stream, held during a GMA Revenue and Finance Policy Committee meeting chaired by Commissioner Evie McNiece.
And Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams, a former Floyd County manager, served as a panelist in a session on strategies to promote inclusion and citizen engagement.
Rome officials also came in for recognition during the conference’s business meeting and awards luncheon.
McNiece and Rome City Attorney Andy Davis were elected to positions on the GMA Board of Directors. Davis will serve as president of the board’s city attorney section and McNiece also holds a position on the Legislative Policy Council.
Doss and Commissioner Milton Slack received certificates of dedication, marking 276 hours of continuing education for elected officials through the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Mc Niecee ar ned a certificate of distinction, with 204 hours, and Commissioner Sundai Stevenson, in her first term of office, earned a certificate of achievement for 72 hours of classes.