How You Can be Heard.

Chad Pimlott

According to Craig Hemingway, Communications Manager for the City of Moose Jaw, the City  REALLY wants to know your thoughts on the goings-on in the city and they don't want you to hesitate if you've got questions, "there are several ways you can provide input and feedback on, not only issues City Council and Administration are dealing with, but also on any new initiatives you believe the city should undertake".

Council did this last week, when they invited citizens to come out to a Council meeting and give their take on legal cannabis retailers. They received a few dozen emails and had many citizens show up at the meeting to express themselves.

"We want to see more of that" Hemingway said, later adding "maybe they didn't know they had an opportunity to be heard."

The city did solicit citizens for their take on legal marijuana retailers, but just because they don't do the same for other issues doesn't mean they don't want to hear what you have to say on them.

On the February 16th edition of The Friendly City Podcast, Hemingway spoke with Acting City Clerk, Tracy Wittke. It is the City Clerk's responsibility to compile feedback into reports, which are then presented to Council, so they can take it into consideration when making decisions that will effect the future of the community.

"Citizens should be heard because they are really the backbone of the community" Wittke said,  "and sometimes there is so much out there that we have to deal with administratively that we, perhaps, in a way, forget that we are representing the people of the community."

In particular, they want to know what the people think about things like budgets, services that we should or should not offer, health, safety and good governance. "It's all laid out in the cities act and we do our best to provide that information" she said. "We really do need feedback."

"Decisions will go to Council," Hemingway stated, "and not everyone will be happy. But the best we can do is make sure people are heard."

So...that being said. If you you have concerns or any questions for City Council or the Mayor, they are making it very clear that they want to hear from you. In order to get your queries to them, contact the City Clerk's office. 

Listen to the Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-437008248-504761590/episode-3-february-16-2018