“This is an opportunity for open conversation,” says John Nissel, the City Manager for Charles Town, speaking about why he’s sitting in the council chambers waiting for people to walk in and talk to him. “If it’s good or bad, I want to listen. I walk the city, visit merchants, asking how we can make the city more friendly, a more enjoyable place.”
Nissel launched the “meet the city manager” open-door events earlier this year, and he’s planning to hold them regularly on the second Wednesday of each month. He expects to have both a morning session (9-10:30 am) and an afternoon session (4:30-6 pm) each day. He says “there’s no real agenda — it’s about providing more access to city hall. People can come in without an appointment and just chat. I can’t promise I’ll have an answer to every question, but it will help me get a finger on the pulse of the citizens’ concerns.”
Nissel noted that he’s already heard about several issues and remarked that these sessions are the “opposite of public comment at city meetings, which are very formal” and where citizens often don’t get immediate feedback. In contrast, he sees these informal sessions as an opportunity for back and forth conversations and idea sharing.
When The Observer stopped by in March, Nissel was just finishing up a conversation with a local engineer who was sharing some thoughts on stormwater management. Nissel commented that this was an opportunity to have a very informative conversation about a complex issue that crosses multiple departments and gave him some new ideas about how to approach upcoming projects.
The next “meet the city manager” sessions will be on Wednesday, April 10 in the Charles Town City Hall (101 East Washington St, Charles Town). The public can enter the council chambers using the glass door at the corner of Washington and George Streets.
