Public comment isn't engagement. I know hearing that will piss you off. But apart from putting up giant numbers, numbers way out of norm of what contentious issues pull into meetings, it's just about the least effective way to influence your local government. Everybody knows the score: public comment is canvassed before the meeting, and (again, unless you're putting up huge numbers) represents attempts by tiny minorities of the community to override the will of the voters, by paying more attention than ordinary voters and showing up on a random Tuesday night to complain.
The irony is, there are plenty of ways for tiny minorities to exert outsized influence in most communities. Here's a really basic one: instead of showing up and giving tedious public comment, reach out directly to your council members (or, better yet, the relevant commissioners, if they exist, who probably never get any kind of public comment) and do private comment.
That's not much more effective than public comment, but it is more effective. There are better things to do than that!
(Having said all this: I'm glad your muni made the decision it did. The high schoolers will be fine. Building housing for homeless people is good for the community. Every time a muni does it, people come out of hte woodwork with stories about sex offenders and drug addicts. Sounds like your council has its head screwed on right; good for them.)
Critically, you need to inform them that your support is contingent on their action on the matter. Even better if you can get a handful of friends to do the same. Politicians may care about issues but they care more about keeping their jobs.
If you're giving public comments saying things like "government sponsored access to hard drugs", it's really no wonder public comment isn't working out for you. If you're not known to be in a position to fund runs for competitive candidates in the next cycle (or to fund existing electeds you know to be on your side on this stuff), you should re-read Dale Carnegie before you attempt engaging again. I'm not snarking. You would not believe how much more effective it is just to not be another hyperbolic aggrieved person.
Could you please stop posting unsubstantive comments and flamebait? You've unfortunately been doing it repeatedly. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for.
As I think you can surmise from my first response to your comment, I don't agree at all with your premise. We just did the exact same thing your muni did, a block and a half from a high school and a block and a half from my house. I'm thrilled. But this very narrow policy dispute isn't interesting. You perceive my comment as a dunk on you, but I'm in fact trying to arm you to more effective work against my own policy interests, because I hate cynicism even more than I hate NIMBYism.
The irony is, there are plenty of ways for tiny minorities to exert outsized influence in most communities. Here's a really basic one: instead of showing up and giving tedious public comment, reach out directly to your council members (or, better yet, the relevant commissioners, if they exist, who probably never get any kind of public comment) and do private comment.
That's not much more effective than public comment, but it is more effective. There are better things to do than that!
(Having said all this: I'm glad your muni made the decision it did. The high schoolers will be fine. Building housing for homeless people is good for the community. Every time a muni does it, people come out of hte woodwork with stories about sex offenders and drug addicts. Sounds like your council has its head screwed on right; good for them.)