Showerthought: Involving locals in dredge plans - good idea or trouble?

I've seen crews that hold meetings with townsfolk before starting a job, which can build trust. But my buddy says it just gives people a chance to protest and delay work. Some argue transparency saves headaches later, while others prefer to avoid the conversation entirely. How do you all manage public opinion when operating near homes?

3 comments

3 Comments

samf951mo ago

Tried to explain a drainage plan once and ended up drawing a duck on the whiteboard. True story, and yeah, it was awkward af. But honestly, even with the cringe, I'd still say talk to the locals. If you don't, they'll fill in the blanks with way worse stuff than a weird duck. Sure, it might slow things down, but fighting rumors later is a bigger headache. Just keep it simple and admit when you don't know something.

felixa181mo ago

From my experience, trying to be transparent can backfire if you're as bad at public speaking as I am. Once had a whole town meeting where I accidentally promised a park instead of a dredge site.

elliotk111mo ago

Yeah, we learned the hard way that a quick site walk with a few key neighbors works better than a big town hall. It stops the wild rumors without giving a stage to every complaint, something @felixa18 might have found useful. Keeps things moving but still shows you're not hiding.