Back in 2017, Council Member Todd Severt and I ran for City Council with a desire to improve communications between city hall and the residents we serve. As part of that effort was the establishment of the quarterly “Ask-A-Council Member” workshops. These workshops weren’t designed to discuss pending legislation, but were a more general discussion to bring the citizens residents and council members closer together in a way to facilitate open discussions on those items that residents wanted to bring forward.
And with the exception of a few of these events being cancelled throughout 2020, these gatherings have continued to inform residents and give them access to elected ofifcials in a way that is rarely seen.
Many of the issues that are brought up at these events are the bread and butter concerns that make up local government — everything from faded stop signs to parks that needed attention to mailboxes. But many of these fruitful discussions also focused on how the government works. There have been questions about what departments were responsible for certain functions. Other questions have often dived into the role of council in the decision-making process.
There have also been opportunities to discuss certain themes during these meetings. For example this past Spring, the meeting was co-hosted with the Miami County Commissioners and the County Sheriff to talk about corrections and the need for a new jail. With the topic of homelessness that has dominated public discourse the last few weeks, it may become a major topic that is discussed during this meeting as well. Regardless of what is discussed, these discussions are always informal and informative.
The format allowed for a free-flowing discussion of our community without having to navigate a city council meeting and waiting until the very end to have an opportunity to discuss issues. And while city council meetings are opportunities to for residents to express their concerns, these meetings aren’t necessarily the best format to have an open dialogue between residents and elected officials.
One of the reasons that makes these events so unique is that as residents, we get to hear directly from our elected officials. Sometimes, it is a sharp departure from what residents see at a council meeting, where elected officials are traditionally tight-lipped and often have nothing to say. At these events, it’s elected officials that lead and participate into the discussion; as someone in the audience, we get a refreshing look at the thoughts and ideas of our elected officials.
The next “Ask-A-Council Member” workshop will take place this coming Saturday, November 14 at 9:00 a.m. at the Bravo Room in Hobart Arena. Coffee, donuts and juice are always provided.
I plan to be in attendance and if you have a question that you want asked, please feel free to send me your question to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com or leave your question in the comment thread. I’ll ask your question and follow up with you on the answer.
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