One of the first rounds of applause at the "Community Conversation" held June 12 in the Kennett Fire Company's Red Clay Room had to do with the trucks that sat on the other side of the wall.

"How many are tired of waking up to sirens?" asked one Kennett Square resident. His question was answered by a smattering of applause from some of the roughly 130 people seated at 17 round tables.

Sally Warren, another borough resident, rose from her seat and called out in response, "Let that serve as a reminder that we have people waking up to save lives." Another, livelier, round of clapping followed.

Though it was hardly confrontational, the exchange was a rare departure from a night that was billed as an exercise in cooperation and problem solving.

The stated purpose of the event, which was co-hosted by the Kennett Square and the nonprofit planning group Chester County 2020, was to identify issues in the Kennett Square community and work toward solutions.

Kennett Square was just the latest of a series of similar meetings the group has held around the county.

"We don't tell people what to do. We're not the experts," said Chester County 2020 director Nancy Mohr, who could not attend the meeting for health reasons. "What we do is try to get them working towards decisions they're trying to make."

To do so, the organizers employed a process that has been developed and refined at meetings that Chester County 2020 has held in other municipalities, including West Bradford, Pennsbury and South Coatesville.

At these community conversations, the floor is first opened to anyone who wants to raise an issue. The issues are compiled into a list of bullet points and displayed on easels throughout the room. Everyone in attendance is given five round stickers to put on the topics they consider most important.

"The dots weight the issues and help us develop a short list," said William Stevens, the Chester County 2020 member who compressed residents' sometimes lengthy concerns into brief phrases for display. Several weeks after the meeting, 2020 will make public summaries of the meeting.

When the votes are tallied, each table in the room becomes a work group and chooses some of the highest-ranked topics to work on. They are aided by a worksheet with discussion questions and instructions on acknowledging differences of opinion without debating them.

Each table included five to 10 people, and most featured one member of the borough council.

"Borough officials are there to listen and learn from you, to answer factual questions if you have them, but not in their leadership roles," said Mary Anna Ralph of Chester County 2020, who emceed the meeting.

The development of local brownfields or more seriously polluted Superfund sites was the most important topic of the night, receiving 36 dots.

The 26 acres of the National Vulcanized Fiber (NVF) complex - designated a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Administration - were repeatedly referred to as land that could be decontaminated and used for residential or commercial development.

Such a move, proponents said, could at once create a more walkable urban center and reduce the need for sprawl at the edges of town.

Close behind were the need for the downtown area to balance its trend toward upscale establishments with businesses that serve the needs of the community, such as a Laundromat and general goods store, alternative transportation, sidewalk rehabilitation, public safety and the accessibility of the post office and library.

Some issues were advanced just by being brought up. Fire chief Steve Melton, before expressing concern over the danger of overcrowded houses, informed those who live within earshot of the fire siren that the fire company was considering a new public address system. He said that the new system, which may be used as a notification device for other emergencies beyond fires, would be tested on June 26 at 6 p.m.

The items that drew the most attention were consistent with the concerns of a growing urban area, according to Stevens.

"This speaks to a rather cohesive identity," he said. "What really knocked my socks off is that nobody said anything about taxes."

At previous community conversations in other towns, property taxes are a constant point of discussion and contention. Though no subjects are off limits, Mohr, who chaired the Chester County Task Force on Tax Reform from 1992 to 99, said that the community conversations are better spent on other subjects that don't require such extensive background knowledge.

Mohr has a long history of working in civic engagement, dating back to her time as an intern in the U.S. Department of the Interior. She has worked for the Brandywine Conservancy and the Chester County Planning Commission. She became the executive director of Chester County 2020 in 2001.

Chester County 2020 was founded in 1996 as a supplement to "Landscapes," the county's comprehensive plan. It was headed by Henry Jordan, then chairman of the planning commission. The group's early work was mainly focused on land-use issues, and the community conversations were known as "vision forums."

Over the years, Mohr said she has discovered how the preservation of open space is inextricably linked to what happens in the towns and cities.

"The especially interesting aspect for me over the past six years is that after running a Brandywine Conservancy conservation easement program in what we called the Headwaters Area for 10 years, I find the idea of preserving the farmland by addressing the livability of the urban centers and townships really intriguing."

More About 2020

Chester County 2020 does not have any more community conversations scheduled. However, executive director Nancy Mohr said she was communicating with many municipalities and expected more meetings to be scheduled soon, particularly after the summer vacation season.

For information on Chester County 2020 and coming events, call the West Chester office at 610-696-3180 or visit www.cc2020.org.