PROVO — A prevalent stereotype about government public hearings is that the only people in attendance are either senior citizens with nothing better to do or Boy Scouts seeking a (merit) badge of courage.

Sometimes, though, public hearings kindle a burning sense of civic duty. Fireworks at such meetings, however, are more exception than rule. As a result, public hearings have about as many regular attendees as funeral homes have repeat customers.

"Everyone is welcome, and during the public comments time anyone can address the commission," said Linda Strickland, the clerk responsible for recording sign-in sheet data for Utah County Commission meetings. "People might show up if there is something on the agenda that deals especially with them, but they won't come on a regular basis. . . . Let's face it — most of the time the meetings are very boring."

For those public hearings that are perpetually and interminably boring, there's a new study about how government officials can pull the plug on the boredom bug.

The study, which appears in a recent edition of Public Administration Review, is written by Brigham Young University professor William Baker and Weber State University professors H. Lon Addams and Brian Davis.

The report analyzes the components that go into making public hearings fulfill the purpose of infusing public input into governmental decisions.

After surveying 500 city managers in U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 99,999, the professors distilled their conclusions into six steps that municipalities can focus on in order to maximize public hearing efficacy.

According to the report, to pump life back into public hearings, government officials must prepare thoroughly, publicize effectively, launch the meeting well, facilitate discussion in an organized manner, listen respectfully, and follow up by communicating the decision back to the public.

"These meetings are complex communication events," said Baker, a professor of organizational leadership and strategy. "If they are treated as such, they can really allow for meaningful participation by citizens."

Of course, all of that is easier said than done.

"I've been to some public hearings over the years, and they just seemed to drag on," said Addams. "It didn't seem like your opinions held much clout. It felt like an exercise in futility.

"It's sad when that happens. But we didn't want to be anecdotal about this — that's the reason why we decided to do a scientific method-research study."

Despite their best efforts, even elected officials may occasionally succumb to the doldrums and monotony of public hearings they preside over.

"The worst part of public hearings is when people say the same thing over and over and over again," Utah County Commission Chairman Jerry Grover said. "I don't love meetings; that's just my personality.

"If you think county commission meetings take a long time, try going to city council meetings . . . they can go till one or two in the morning. With us, we meet, and if it's perfunctory we just get it over with."

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