City Council hosted a meeting to compare ideas with others who ran in the last election.
Only 6 of the 20 unsuccessful candidates showed up for the meeting, and were asked the top three issues and opportunities they heard while campaigning, and the one thing they would have wanted to achieve in their first year had they been elected..
Mayor Sharie Minions said one of the things she heard is that council needs to connect with the people of Port Alberni more often, and explain city processes and duties.
“There was a common theme of people not understanding city processes, not understanding what we’re responsible for, not understanding how to engage with council, and I think that’s a huge opportunity for us to be really aware of and start to address as a council,” she said.
Minions said she wants to host less formal meetings, and streamline processes for developers, businesses, and residents.
Members of the public also participated in the discussion at yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting, urging council to start addressing the many needs within the city.
Todd Patola said he was happy to have been invited to participate with his ideas, despite his unsuccessful bid for a council seat
“It’s a positive exercise in inclusion,” he said. “Every opportunity you have to express an opinion or restate a good idea that hasn’t been recognized in the past is a positive opportunity.”
Patola said everyone was at the same meetings during the election, and heard similar complaints from voters, including the need for affordable housing, a community-based crime reduction strategy, and no more tax increases.
