Cache Community Conversations

Would you invest some time to help rebuild trust and improve decision-making in our community? If so, please keep reading.

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Too often, partisanship and the pace of life leave us without the time or space for the deeper conversations our community needs to make thoughtful decisions together.

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Across Cache Valley, people care deeply about the future of our community. We’ve got different visions for what that future might look like, and how we get there. And that’s a good thing. Diversity of thought doesn’t have to cause polarization. It should be a source of strength in a healthy democracy.

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Finding our way back to a healthy democracy requires: Listening to those who think differently from us, being willing to confront hard questions, sitting for some time with uncomfortably truths, being willing to admit when we may not understand, and committing, time and time again, to digging deep into complex issues.

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Cache Community Conversations will bring together small groups of residents who see issues differently to deeply explore important topics over several evenings of discussion. These groups are not being convened to agree with me, or even with one another. They are being convened to help our community think better together and move forward with more trust and better judgement.

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The topic that has been selected for our first Cache Community Conversation series is: Growth in Cache Valley.

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What will we do?

 

Participants will:

• meet in a small group of 15–20 neighbors

• take part in 4–5 structured conversations

• ask questions, listen to different perspectives, discuss our values and how our current decision-making is or isn’t well aligned with those values, seek reliable answers together  

• explore real tradeoffs facing our community

• help produce a short public summary of what the group learned

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You do not need policy expertise. You only need curiosity, respect for others, and a willingness to participate.

 

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Who should apply?

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We are looking for people with a wide range of:

• perspectives

• experiences

• occupations

• ages

• political viewpoints

• lengths of time living in the community

 

Especially encouraged to apply: People who don’t usually attend political events.

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Support for participants

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To make participation possible for more people, we will provide:

• meals during sessions

• childcare reimbursement

• transportation assistance if needed

 

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Time commitment

 

Participants should plan to attend:

• 4–5 sessions

• about 2 hours each

• held in the evening

 

Consistent attendance helps build trust and momentum within the group. Some reading, watching videos, or listening to podcasts may be useful between sessions. 

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What will we do during each session?

 

The sessions will evolve according the needs of each group. While we intend to provide some structure, participants will decide where these conversations go. The process will be guided by a professional facilitator and shaped by the questions participants bring to the group. A general plan for the arc of the sessions might be:

 

Session 1: Getting to Know Each Other and Framing the Issue

 

In the first session, participants will:

• get to know one another and the experiences they bring

• share why the topic matters to them personally

• identify values and concerns connected to the issue

• surface important questions the group wants to explore

• help shape the direction of future conversations

 

The goal of this session is to build trust and create a shared starting point for the group’s work.

 

Outcome: A clearer understanding of what matters most to participants and which questions the group wants to investigate together.

 

Session 2: Building Shared Understanding

 

In the second session, participants will:

• explore information related to the questions raised in Session 1

• consider multiple perspectives on the issue

• learn from invited experts or background materials when helpful

• identify areas of agreement and disagreement

• generate additional questions to explore

 

The goal is not to reach conclusions, but to deepen understanding of the issue and the tradeoffs involved.

 

Outcome: A stronger shared foundation of knowledge and a clearer map of the issue’s complexity.

 

Session 3: Exploring Tradeoffs and Impacts

 

In the third session, participants will:

• examine the practical challenges connected to the issue

• continue to explore questions and deepen shared understanding

• discuss tradeoffs and competing priorities

• consider who benefits and who bears costs under different approaches

• reflect on short-term and long-term implications for Cache Valley

• explore where perspectives begin to converge or remain different

 

This session helps move the conversation from positions toward problem-solving.

 

Outcome: A clearer understanding of what makes the issue difficult and what paths forward might be possible.

 

Session 4: Identifying Possible Paths Forward

 

In the fourth session, participants will:

• identify areas of shared concern or agreement

• clarify important differences that remain

• explore practical directions the community could consider

• reflect on what responsible leadership might look like on this issue

• begin outlining key themes for a group summary

 

The goal is not uniform agreement on all aspects, but clarity about the facts, implications, and tradeoffs involved.

 

Outcome: A draft framework describing the group’s shared insights, differences, and priorities.

 

Session 5: Reviewing and Finalizing a Community Summary

 

In the final session, participants will:

• review a draft summary of the group’s discussions

• refine language together

• ensure the summary reflects both agreements and disagreements

• identify implications for the future of Cache Valley

• highlight questions that deserve continued community attention

 

The summary will be shaped by participants and shared publicly as part of the Cache Community Conversations initiative.

 

Outcome: A participant-informed statement describing how the group understands the issue and how our community might move forward thoughtfully.

 

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Apply to participate

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Applications take about 10 minutes to complete.

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Deadline: June 17, 2026

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Together, we can show that our community is capable of working through difficult issues with respect, honesty, and care.

 

Patrick Belmont

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