Question from Anonymous

(oops) How do you propose to get the public more involved in inner city workings? What is the current way it's done?

Michael Bryant answered:

Having an open government is the first step in getting the public more involved. A simple and easy way to open the door a little is to post the agenda for upcoming meetings on the City’s Channel 12. Post it the Friday before the Tuesday meeting and place it in heavy rotation. Citizens will be able to see in advance about issues that may impact them or they have an interest in. Small scale public involvement happens all the time. A resident will call a Commissioner or City Hall with an issue or a problem. It could be as simple as to report an overflowing culvert, a complaint about a pothole or an abandoned house. This is the basic level of citizen input. That is the way it should be. However when issues or projects that impact all or most residents arise, government must actively seek public input, especially major projects using taxpayer money. One way to do this is to hold public forums on major issues and advertise those forums. Another way to get the public involved is to hold work sessions before Commission meetings. Moving all Commission meeting to evening hours will allow more people to attend after work and to watch the proceedings live. Again, a spot on every regular meeting agenda allowing for public comments can go a long way in getting the public involved. I believe that if the public knows they can speak without having to jump through hoops and fill out a piece of paper beforehand, they would be more willing to speak.