Consider these recent scenarios:

* In Cedar Hills a man played his guitar and sang to express his feelings about beer sales and shopping on Sunday.

l In Provo, council Chairwoman Cynthia Dayton glared down a woman who wanted to show off her bikini when representatives of hair salon Bikini Cuts announced they were coming to town. The woman did not disrobe until she got outside council chambers and faced news reporters.

l And in Ogden a frequent critic told the council that he wanted to use his three minutes to comment on some of the good things the city was doing. He stood before the microphone - in silence - until his time was up.

"Amazingly, it's almost like that scripture: 'They swallow the camel and strain at the gnat,' '' says Mapleton Administrator Bob Bradshaw.

For example, he said: "Not a single member of the public was in attendance for the approval of [Mapleton's] $2.6 million budget, then when one neighborhood development is proposed, they rant and rave and break the door down."

But one Brigham Young University management professor says public hearings actually can be one of the best ways to hear community voices and apply them to decisions. It's all in how they are conducted, according to William Baker.

He surveyed 500 city managers across the nation, asking about what factors make a public hearing either a success or a failure, and received more than 50 percent of the surveys back. Respondents from 46 states replied to the study released last week by BYU's Marriott School of Management.

Some suggestions: Make the presentation interesting and informative, keep the meeting moving - and actually listen to the public comments.

"We are a government by the people, for the people, and we like to have our say," Baker said. "Government is obligated, by law, to ask for public input. If [government] will do this at the beginning and throughout of the process - instead of just at the end - it will get the buy-in it is looking for."

The study was published this week in the Public Administration Review and has an endorsement from Peter Christensen, a senior managing editor and policy analyst for the Government Finance Officers Association.

"Anyone involved in the planning and execution of these meetings should carefully consider Dr. Baker's recommendations," Christensen said.

Baker's findings suggest that city council members and administrators should carefully prepare for public hearings, advertise the meeting in various media early and often, and follow up with residents after they voice their concerns.

For council members like Provo's Steve Turley, any suggestions to trim the apathy of the public is welcomed.

"I can't believe we have a $150 million budget that comes and goes with maybe one comment" from the public, Turley said.

Of course, not every city struggles with public hearings.

Spanish Fork Councilman Seth Sorensen said although 60 percent of his city's public hearings result in no comments from residents, those who do speak are directly helpful to his decision-making process.

Cedar Hills Councilman Jim Perry says his constituents are aware of most city issues and often address the council in informative ways.

Sometimes, however, informed residents can get worked up and take over city meetings in moblike style, demanding city leaders do the will of the group in attendance.

"When we let go the police chief last year, there was a mob that came out in protest," said Mapleton's Bradshaw. "I've never understood the mob mentality until I saw it in the flesh."

Baker says the solution is to break citizens into several smaller groups and sit them in separate rooms with different council members.

"People tend not to get that mob mentality when they're in a smaller group," he said. "When you're in a big group, you kind of lose your individuality and become part of the crowd."

The study also encourages city leaders to communicate with the public outside of council chambers - through e-mail, community events, personal visits or any other means.

Baker acknowledges the study doesn't provide a solution for every struggle city leaders face with public hearings, but it is meant to give some direction to increase their effectiveness.

"These meetings are complex communication events," he said. "If they are treated as such, they can really allow for meaningful participation by citizens."

thollingshead@sltrib.com