The University has recently intensified its interaction with state politicians, Casey says, hoping to get acquainted with those newly elected last November.

"Right now is a unique time for anyone who has to deal with the state legislature," he explains. "Now you just sort of have to reestablish all those contacts. They're trying to figure out where their desks are first, and they have a million people trying to get their ideas through."

According to Casey, it is of paramount importance for lobbyists to establish personal relationships with their contacts in the government so that "when they know they're contemplating something...that might have an impact on you, they'll think to give you a call."

Town-Gown Relations

When a university sits down with city officials, the focus moves toward town-gown issues, such as university expansion and construction, tax disputes and off-campus student housing, according to Tom Keady, director of community relations for North-eastern University.

In Cambridge, Harvard has created a number of groups that bring together University personnel and city municipal and civic representatives, says Marilyn L. O'Connell, co-director of community relations at Harvard.

Harvard is the largest property owner and the biggest employer in the city--a fact O'Connell says can contribute to the "myth" that Harvard is a real estate and business octopus, growing and making deals at the expense of Cambridge's citizens and small property owners.

"It's always an issue in town-gown relationships," she says. "We've tried to be as open as we can about having a dialogue."

O'Connell adds that one of her main functions is to disseminate information to the community about the contributions Harvard has made to the city, including public service programs and youth scholarships.

"There's a lot of misinformation" about the University's true position in the community, O'Connell says, adding some citizens perceive it incorrectly as a big, impersonal corporation. In reality, she says, "A lot of the developments reflect a consensus with the neighborhood."

For example, in November Harvard signed a 10-year agreement with the City Council setting the amount of its annual voluntary in-lieu-of-taxes payments at more than $1 million. This means that instead of paying taxes to the city, the University will pay a flat fee over the next 10 years.

This agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in support for local schools and the creation of affordable housing. In a statement, the University called the pact "the best agreement of its kind in the country."

But according to Phillip Dowds, a director of Cambridge Citizens for a Livable Neighborhood, Harvard acts almost exclusively in its own interest in its negotiations with the community and the services it provides.

Dowds terms the University's civic outreach program a policy of "rural pacification," designed simply to smooth the ruffled feathers of Cambridge citizens. "[Harvard's representatives to the community] are all extremely good at what they do...and they are all extremely determined that what Harvard wants out of the situation will not be denied," he says.

"The real heavy duty lobbying" occurs between the University and the City Council and city manager at the exclusion of the citizenry, Dowds alleges. For example, he says, Harvard has contracted with the city to use public lands for construction project debris behind the community's back.