Public input is being sought before the public engagement policy is presented to council for decision. The policy outline, available on the municipality’s website, incorporates a spectrum of the public engagement process. This includes informing, consultation, involvement, collaboration and empowerment.
A survey link is available on the the municipality’s public engagement policy page for those who wish to provide input online. The page is listed at the bottom of the “town services” tab. Deadline to complete the survey is April 30.
Since not everyone prefers to provide online feedback, Nadon is also taking to the streets and consulting Jasperites about public engagement and how they’d like to be involved in the process.
She will also be present at tonight’s (April 11) green building policy discussion at the high school to address public engagement with attendees. To ensure no one misses the meeting, Nadon will set up shop an hour early at 6 p.m.
She will also be available at 5 p.m. on April 25 in the Activity Centre lobby for an hour before the volunteer awards banquet. Nadon can also be reached at [email protected] or 780-852-4724 for those interested in contributing to the public engagement process.
“What we’re trying to do is not to work off assumptions and actually go to the public and gather their input and build the process from there.”
Once adopted, the policy will be applied to decision-making. This involves acquiring information and then placing it on the spectrum model. “Realistically, most of what we’re doing is going to fall into the first three [inform, consult and involve],” said Nadon.
Last year’s plebiscite on the land swap is an example of the spectrum’s definition of empowerment, where the final decision rests with the public. Most day-to-day decisions within the municipality don’t require that degree of public input.
Busking is the first issue that will likely be taken through the public engagement process. “Running it through a process like that would ensure that we get all the views from all the different actors before we make a decision.”
Nadon looks forward to hearing what the public has to say and the future implications of public engagement.
“Whatever the community wants, it will empower us to actually deliver.”
