Chatham-Kent's mayor is making good on a promise made during his campaign.
During his campaign in the summer of 2018, Mayor Darrin Canniff said he would pursue the possibility of holding council meetings outside of Chatham so that more residents would have the opportunity to attend. A motion for a report to look at the feasibility of doing so was made and approved in November 2018.
The report was to lay out the logistics of holding meetings in communities such as Ridgetown, Blenheim, Tilbury, Wheatley, Wallaceburg, Dresden, Thamesville, and Bothwell.
In March, a motion will go to council for meetings to be held at locations other than Chatham's Civic Centre, twice a year.
In the meantime, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent wants to hear from residents about the matter. A survey will be held over the next month to gain input on where council meetings should move to.
The survey is posted on the Let's Talk CK website. To take the survey, residents must first register as a user. The survey is comprised of eight questions and will likely take no more than 10 minutes.
The Let's Talk CK website is used as a platform for residents to voice their opinions on municipal matters. However, it is monitored to ensure discussions remain respectful.
“Let’s Talk is one more way for us to reach our residents and help provide information to council on topics of interest,” said Judy Smith, Chatham-Kent’s director of municipal governance and clerk. “Not everyone can attend public input meetings but everyone has the right to have their voice heard.”
More than 1,100 people have registered for Let’s Talk so far.