INNISFAIL – After more than a year of being first introduced as a strategic priority for the town, Innisfail’s new council has adopted a policy for public engagement.
Public engagement was a passionate issue for many Innisfailians last year who questioned the town’s commitment to keep citizens properly informed and involved on important local initiatives, policies and decisions.
"I wanted it right off the bat. I want to get going on it,” said Mayor Jim Romane, adding he’s expecting the new policy will be well received by the community. "Why wouldn’t it be? I think it addresses the issue.
"It was mandated by the MGA to a degree,” he added. "We can’t be the only one that had issues or problems involving the community. Let’s all get on the same page here and get people involved.”
At council’s Jan. 8 regular meeting, the new Public Participation Policy was presented by Stuart Fullarton, the town’s communications and social media coordinator.
In Fullarton’s report to council it was noted the previous council had identified the development of a public engagement policy as a strategic priority for 2017. A policy was subsequently drafted, but tabled until additional amendments were being created for the updated provincial Municipal Government Act (MGA).
The report noted the updated MGA was proclaimed last October with new legislation introduced for public engagement. Fullarton’s report added the new council also identified public participation as a priority during its recent 2018 strategic planning sessions, and directed administration to draft a policy for its review in early 2018. The updated MGA stipulates municipalities must have their public participation policies in place by July 23 of this year.
Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer, noted the new Public Participation Policy for Innisfail presented a "twofold” opportunity: the first being compliant with the updated MGA, and secondly, to meet the needs of community citizens who had an "expectation of better improved processes regarding public participation.”
The updated MGA guidelines for public participation call for municipalities to identify the types or categories of approaches they will use to engage local stakeholders, as well as making the policy available for public inspection, and that it be reviewed at least once every four years.
Becker said town staff will now look at what level of public engagement or participation will work best, as well as all strategies that have been used in the past, ones that haven’t, and new ones that come to their attention, like the recent "speed dating” concept that was successful in Camrose and will be used for the first time on March 3 at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
"The public is expecting another means of engagement so it means a shift in how we conduct our business,” said Becker. "It’s actually going to the public on different levels and getting their feedback. It could be surveying or special cool events like the speed dating piece we’ve heard from the library. That is kind of a neat initiative.”
Most importantly, added Becker, the town needs to put a "spin” on new creative public engagement strategies that will attract citizens to come out and have their voices heard.
"I am kind of looking forward to the shift and see how we conduct this and achieve success with the public participation expectations,” said Becker, adding the process for the new public engagement policy needs to be "front and centre” at town hall with staff fully engaged to make it successful with the community.
"We have to make sure we don’t forget about it and we need to draw it in to our projects,” said Becker.
Mayor Jim Romane
"We can't be the only one that had issues or problems involving the community. Let's all get on the same page here and get people involved."
