By StaffDecember 18th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We’re looking for people to join the Community Panel to provide feedback on a variety of topics, but specifically the Ward Boundary Review, Climate Action Plan and the Asset Management Plan.
Another one?
Recent news article:
The ” City” shoud simply ask the members/employees of the Budget Department and R Nisan …… that way thet get all the answers they’re hoping for …. not the correct ones.
Surely no one believes the “City” uses any of the information gathered to make decisions.
This is just ‘show poltics”.
Surveys are not the sole determining factor in decision-making. Council will balance some survey data with other factors, such as expert opinions, legal considerations, budget constraints, and political realities. But most importantly, surveys don’t fully represent the diversity of the population because generally, they are not designed or distributed well.
Don’t fillout the survey ……. just ask R Nisan !!!!!
Lots of hours spent, many survey questions asked, lots of documents downloaded and web sites accessed.
Activity does not equal results.
Simple question, perhaps the most important metric, what percentage of recommendations from citizen engagement were actually implemented by the City?
I suggested years ago that names should not appear when it comes to council to decide who is “worthy ( another word for lackeys)” to sit on the Advisory Committees.
Candidates should be chosen on their past experiences and merit not by who the councillors feel would fall in line with city policies.
Many who have sat on some of the advisory committees ( myself included) left because we realized it was a waste of time.
Once again the City is looking to involve residents by inviting them to apply to sit on a panel. Supposedly anyone over 14 can apply. Now here comes the kicker. If you read below – “selected participants”.
My question – who does the selecting and does it have to go to council in closed session to approve the choices? This is what is done for the city advisory committee selections.
If this is indeed the case we know who won’t be selected.
“Wanted: Residents at the ready. Volunteer to be a member of Burlington’s new Community Panel
Share Wanted: Residents at the ready. Volunteer to be a member of Burlington’s new Community Panel on Facebook Share Wanted: Residents at the ready. Volunteer to be a member of Burlington’s new Community Panel on Twitter Share Wanted: Residents at the ready. Volunteer to be a member of Burlington’s new Community Panel on Linkedin Email Wanted: Residents at the ready. Volunteer to be a member of Burlington’s new Community Panel link
The City of Burlington is looking for volunteers to join its new Community Panel. Through the panel, selected participants can choose which City topics and issues they want to share their feedback on.”
This is a whole new can of worms and I suggest that nobody “apply.” I and others did attempt to a while ago, and we backed out when we saw the information/data that the city expects to collect from us – and for what purpose, we wonder.
I am reminded of my recent delegation on engagement where I spoke about Sherry Arnstein’s “Ladder of Citizen Participation” and in particular I suggested that the city is stuck on the bottom rungs of the ladder – i.e., poor engagement – and this particular low rung which I quoted now comes to mind: “5 – Placation: For example, co-option of hand-picked ‘worthies’ onto committees. It allows citizens to advise or plan ad infinitum but retains for powerholders the right to judge the legitimacy or feasibility of the advice.”
Back to the community forum application.
They are asking for WAY too much information. One needs to first sign up for another thing called MyImpactPage.com – yup, with another password, then it goes to the City “Get Involved” one, password #2. The application form is ten pages long!!
They ask for your social media handles – why? Need to check out what we say there? What happens to our application if they don’t like what we say on social media? That one isn’t mandatory, however. But they’re hoping you’ll tell them.
You need to provide not one, but two references. Is the city going to contact them all? Why do we need references at all? They require their phone numbers, email addresses and relationship to us.
You have to have a disclose if you have a criminal conviction – why is this the business of random people at city hall? You must send a resume. Why?
The City has been promoting this since at least September. Perhaps they’ve found that not enough people are willing to go through all these forms or give away personal information to the City of Burlington for the pleasure of being placated under the guise of engagement.
Sign away your life and provide all of your personal information and they may or may not accept you as a qualified participant. Maybe all of our Burlington City Council members should go thru the same rigor and process! it would be very interesting!