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When Jerry Gabrielatos was starting out in government, he knocked on doors in his hometown of Chicago to learn more about the problems facing residents. As an assistant city manager in the small town of Albert Lea, Minnesota, he did the same thing.
And then, while working as a city manager in Oregon, COVID happened.
“I couldn’t talk to anyone,” he said. “It was difficult for me to do the job in the way I do it. Community outreach has always been something I’ve done.”
So, when he got his current position as the city manager of Beloit, Wisconsin, almost three years ago, he took the outreach a step further. He decided to create a program that would take government out of the city hall and bring it out to the people.
He created satellite city halls, where he’d set up tables in popular places like grocery stores, pharmacies, and barber shops. Then, he’d stand there and listen.
“The reason I did this here is because I’ve always done it,” he said. “I thought it was important for me as the new manager to understand the community and take that input received beyond city hall and Facebook comments and put it into action.”
These out-of-office hours are unique in that they aren’t exactly political. City managers aren’t elected officials, and residents rarely have a chance to talk with them about specific issues — unless they take a trip to city hall. While some communities benefit from organizations like neighborhood associations that funnel concerns to city staff, others require more innovative solutions and infrastructure.
In Beloit, Gabrielatos found a way to both address any concerns and build trusting relationships.
“People only engage with their local government when there’s something wrong,” he said. “These have always been way more conversational and friendly.”
Organizing the First Satellite City Hall
For such a bold and innovative idea, satellite city halls are surprisingly simple to organize. For the first one, Gabrielatos said he called up the manager of the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store and asked if he could set up a table one Saturday morning. The manager happily agreed.
Then, he worked with city staff to promote his event on social media. They sent a press release to the local newspaper alerting them to the plan.
On the day of the first satellite city hall, he pushed the grocery carts to the side and threw a city banner over the table. A queue of residents soon formed. Local television channels covered the event, and the idea took off.
“I try to do it on Saturday mornings to catch people who don’t have to take time off work,” he said. “People would run into me as they go about their Saturday morning to-do list.”
Over the years, he expanded his locations to the town’s Walgreens, a Latino-owned grocery store, the farmer’s market, and a black-owned barber shop. He said he chooses high-traffic places where he can connect with a diverse population. Beloit, with a population of 37,000, is around 12 percent black and 20 percent Latino.
No Agenda Besides Listening
Gabrielatos doesn’t have a set schedule for his satellite city halls, but he holds them every couple of months. It’s casual by design, without agendas or any planned messages. He said he simply wants to give people the opportunity to ask questions about how their government works.
“I get a lot of complaints about speeding or resurfacing streets. Housing is something people like to discuss,” he said. “I love the people who come all the time or talk about a specific issue, but I also like meeting people whom I wouldn’t normally meet.”
Unlike when residents present at city council meetings, the conversations don’t have time limits. Yet, he hasn’t had a resident become angry or defensive. When someone presents a lengthy list of concerns that could consume too much time, Gabrielatos invites them to coffee. The goal is to create goodwill, and sometimes that takes a little extra time.
“They may be upset that something isn’t working, and I usually agree,” he said. “I’ve pushed back on people who say, ‘Oh, you’re just going to do what you want anyway.’ The whole point is to get feedback and get opinions, not just go with what I thought was best.”
He said he often hears compliments about his staff, which he always passes on. It’s good feedback, because the opposite would be vital to address. Hearing directly from residents gives him the credibility he needs to make all kinds of decisions, both inside city hall and throughout the community.
Don’t Outshine the Elected Officials
Perhaps the trickiest thing about satellite city halls is how similar they can seem to the outreach methods of campaigning candidates. Beloit’s local government structure doesn’t have a mayor, so Gabrielatos said sometimes he needs to play a more forward-facing role of the official who cares about the entire town.
But that doesn’t mean he wants to get partisan or outshine the elected officials. They are his bosses, after all.
“The council never asked me to do it. When I got hired, the directive was that they wanted me to get to know the community. This is how I choose to do it,” he said. “I love doing them. It’s a lot of fun.”
Sometimes, the state senator, officials with the county government, or school board members will stop by during a satellite city hall. Gabrielatos said he works to make it clear that it’s a nonpartisan civic marketplace. He never wants it to look like he’s endorsing one candidate — or taking anything away from the officials residents have already voted for.
“Managers don’t get votes. This isn’t a glad-handing thing,” he explained. “There’s nothing in it for me other than hearing from residents. I think it looks great for the council that they hired a manager who does things like this.”
After years of these events, Beloit residents have a greater trust in their government, because they know the city staff has a deep understanding of the issues. And that’s the best pay-off of all, Gabrielatos said.
“I don’t know why city managers don’t do this more,” he wondered. “Isn’t that exactly what people want out of their city hall?”
