DART group to sponsor public info forums

The "Role & Responsibilities of an NIC Trustee," the first in a series of On Point public forums, sponsored by a group of community-minded residents who call themselves DART, is set for 6 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Harding Family Center, 411 N. 15th St.

A panel of former trustees and executive staff will share their experiences and observations from their time serving NIC. This will provide a unique, inside view of how the college functions and the critical role of a trustees, said Rick Palagi, DART chair.

“Over the last two years, DART has hosted a few events where we took in feedback from a variety of people on how to support our community in a different way," Palagi said. “What we heard, overwhelmingly, were concerns about disinformation and negativity surrounding local politics.”

Palagi said feedback included frustration with confusing political processes, disappointment in the lack of civil discourse, increasing disinformation being shared about local issues, as well as concerns related to low voter turnout, partially due to partisan fighting. This is certainly evident in the current situation the college finds itself facing.

“The forum’s expert panel format will remove the politics from the equation and provide solid information that the community needs in order to make the best decision in the November election,” Palagi said.

Future ‘On Point’ Forums will aim to support informed civic engagement through public interviews with residents and local leaders. Topics will include education, growth, elections and other topics that affect our communities.

“We think most everyone would agree that issues like these are timely and absolutely critical for our community," Palagi said. "Our hope is to have various experts and community leaders offer their knowledge and experience in order to help us all be more informed as residents and voters."

DART (Dedicated, Accountable, Responsible, Together) is a nonpartisan group of community-minded citizens who seek to support informed voter decision-making through education and collaborative civil discourse.