Nonprofit organizations come in all types and many of them have government affairs reps that stay busy at the statehouse and congressional levels where the really big policy decisions are being made. So why would they want to know in advance what is showing up on local public meeting agendas? For several reasons:

We recently discovered that a regional government agency, a special purpose district to be precise, wanted to try our service because they were spending too much time trying to monitor local council and planning commission meetings across their region for topics that they needed to know about. It just wasn’t an easy task to gather those agendas one-by-one via email and then scan each one for the topics they needed to keep an eye on. When they saw a demonstration of our service, they immediately signed up and have since expressed how happy they are with the results! So what are some of the more specific reasons that a regional government agency might want to monitor local government public meetings:

Homebuilders associations exist to help their member homebuilders grow and protect their businesses. So obviously, they would have a vested interest in monitoring what is being voted on at local government public meetings because such decisions can significantly impact homebuilders’ business operations and bottom lines. Local governments have the authority to create laws and regulations that affect the building industry, including zoning and land-use laws, building codes, and permit requirements. Sudden changes to these “ordinances” can impact the costs and feasibility of construction projects, and ultimately affect the homebuilders’ ability to sell their homes.

Government affairs professionals typically keep track of what is being voted on at local government public meetings by following a few key steps and these steps are ranked below:

Local government meetings play a crucial role in shaping the communities in which businesses operate. From zoning and land use changes to tax incentives and public works projects, these meetings can directly impact a company’s bottom line. That’s why it’s important for companies to stay informed and engaged in local government activities, including monitoring what’s being voted on at local government meetings.