Its called visioning, facilitation or consensus process. They hold the meeting knowing they are going to build the project whether citizens want it or not. Then those who go to the meeting go away thinking that trying to work with the goverment is just a waste of time.
This, in fact, is exactly how they want you to feel, they don't want your invovlment, and they sure don't want to be transparent and do things constitutionally. Cuz if they did, the people would not allow them to proceed with such a project that takes private property away from individual property owners and gives it over to a foreign corporation. Eminent domain was never ever intended to do this.