ELORA – In an effort to be inclusive, transparent and build trust in local government, the township has embarked on developing a community engagement charter and strategy.
“While departments are already frequently engaging with the community on a variety of topics, there is no standard framework for how to do this in a consistent, transparent and effective way,” stated manager of strategic initiatives and communications Kendra Martin in her Dec. 15 council report.
“This project aims to fill this gap by establishing the township’s very first community engagement charter, strategy, staff toolkit and action plan.”
A community engagement strategy helps with council and staff decision-making by understanding the community’s needs and priorities, officials say.
Establishing a consistent approach across all departments makes public consultation part of every process and not just relegated to the legislated public planning meetings, they add.
“By establishing a consistent and structured approach to engagement, the township can create meaningful opportunities for residents to contribute their perspectives, enhance understanding of municipal initiatives, and strengthen public trust in the decision-making process,” states the report.
“A formal strategy also supports more effective project planning and implementation, as initiatives developed with resident input are more responsive equitable, and aligned with council, staff and community expectations.”
The township hired Tannis Topolnisky from Topent Ltd. to connect with residents and staff and develop a draft community engagement charter and strategy.
Council approved the moves at the meeting.
The next steps are to develop an action plan for the administrative team, tool kits for staff and templates to build community engagement into procedures.
Councillors lauded the consultant for their approach to developing the strategy, which included participation and feedback from the community.
“The process isn’t over for the community,” Martin said.
