If you don’t tell them what you think – they can’t hear what you have to say. Region wants your opinions.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON  January 22, 2013  Regional chair Gary Carr is very big on telling people he wants to hear what they have to say and he usually takes what he hears into consideration when he makes decisions.  What Gary Carr rarely does it “rock the boat”.  It just isn’t in the man – even though there are some regional issues that could use a tougher stand.

The Regional Chair is the person who can and should go up against the province on behalf of all the municipalities in the Region – that doesn’t happen often enough.

A significant number of the roads in each municipality are considered Regional roads.  There is a new water main going in along Lakeshore Road in Burlington that is going to disrupt traffic and while local residents will call their local council member – it’s a regional issue over which the city has no control.

Regional chair Gary Carr tastes some raw honey while on a farm tour.  The sweet spot for all politicians is getting people to talk to them, which the Region hopes you might do by giving them your point of view.

There are other construction projects taking place – work along Dundas is another example, and the Region wants to know if you’re happy (content is another word they might use) with the way information is being conveyed to you.

At the end of the month the region is going to release a new survey to evaluate the effectiveness of its communications efforts in support of regional infrastructure planning and construction projects.

The survey is part of the ongoing Halton MVP (myViewPoint) survey series that asks an online panel of Halton residents for input on Regional programs and services. The survey results will be used to improve the Building a Better Halton communications program.

“Construction affects all of us in Halton Region,” said Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Our goal is to provide residents, businesses and commuters with useful and timely information that will help reduce the impact of Regional construction on drive times and daily life throughout the region.”

Part of communicating with the people who pay the bills is sharing information. The Region is replacing a water main on Lakeshore Road east of the downtown core that is going to curtail traffic during the summer months. The Region requires the contractor to get out into the community with charts and pictures showing what is being done and how it is being done.

To take part in Halton MVP surveys, residents must join the survey panel and complete a demographic questionnaire. Panelists may be invited to participate in up to eight surveys each year on a variety of Regional programs and services.

Registration is open to all residents of Halton Region (excluding employees of Halton Region) 18 years of age or older. To register, or for more information about Halton MVP, visit www.halton.ca/MVP.

To participate in the next survey on construction communications, eligible Halton residents must join the MVP panel by Sunday, January 27, 2013.

The Halton MVP survey panel is managed and administered by Jane Armstrong Research Associates on behalf of Halton Region through a secure website. All correspondence, data collection and data analysis are the responsibility of Armstrong Research. The names of panelists, or any other identifiable information, will not be released without written permission by the participant. Individual views will remain anonymous and data will always be analyzed and presented to Halton Region in the aggregate.

With the technology now available, governments can reach out and ask questions and get a sense of what people think and feel about something the government wants to do.  It’s good governance and it’s very good politics – and if Regional Chair Gary Carr is anything – he is a very astute politician.

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