By Pepper Parr
September 19th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We were particularly interested in the data that was collected on the ‘dot boards’ that were spread around the space in front of the grandstand at Central Park during the Food for Feedback event.
We had some question which we sent to the city’s Communications department:
How much will the city be paying the several Food Truck Vendors that were on site for the Food for Feedback event – which by the way we thought was well run.
Thank you. We are very happy with the event. Food for Feedback is a community engagement event endorsed by Council, attended by residents from all six wards, and intended to provide important feedback on City initiatives. As such, it is supported by the City’s operational budget. For more information about the City’s investments in community initiatives, please see Burlington’s budget book later this fall.
Different colours didn’t mean a damn thing.
Who was the staff member who handled the event?
It was a team effort by the Engagement and Volunteer Team.
What were the different coloured dots on the dot board intended to convey?
The colours didn’t represent anything. They were all worth one vote.
Which city department will review the data (that is what did the dots say about a particular service) and would it be correct to say that the same people will do the analysis.
Each of the 35 projects/departments who participated is responsible for their own reporting. Once their data is ready, it will be shared online at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca, which is our normal process. Some booths weren’t specific projects but departments looking for feedback to improve services, programs, etc.
Are visuals of each of the dot boards set up available?
No. Each department/project is compiling the data.
The CAO gas (think they meant ‘has’) said that media can expect a response in 48 hours; would that position apply to these questions. We always do our best to meet accredited media’s deadlines and will work with media if we cannot meet their timelines.
Not really very detailed answers are they?
I’m a bit OCD, so I have to exercise the dots from my brain, I counted all the dots by colour and category of the 2-headings in the published images to find a pattern, I have been informed that the colours meant nothing but the transportation placard encouraged you to give 3-choices whereas the Heritage placard had no such choice request, which makes it an even more devilish of a puzzle.
Was the city being frugal by giving you a pack of various coloured dots? The choices that the attendees made had to have had some significance to either COB or to the attendees, Blue and Green being restful colours as in nature, Yellow and Red being energetic and young, a more industrial meaning would be Red-Stop Grn-Go Ylw-Caution Blue-stable or Red high priority green being lower and yellow and Blue as control dots; figuring the reasons for building ’Stone Hendge’ or the ‘Pyramids’ would be easier.
… — … S.O.S.
… — -.-. S.O.C – SAVE OUR CITY
SIGNED: MORSE CODE
🙂
Never are. When the Mayor sets the tone in answer to a question why was the National Anthem not played at Council as per Procedure Bylaw council agenda with “We do NOT answer questions. ” Then tells a Grahem Lane application delegate we don’t answer questions but continue and we will ask staff your questions – and then did not;fails to set out engagement info on procedure by-law….. etc. etc. What do you expect from those who don’t have a clue …….
Surprised the Gazette hasn’t reverted to a cartoon ….. as it has in the past. A good belly laugh does help with the frustrations Joe Public is facing these days with governance engagement issues at all levels. Oh that John Boich s honesty and wisdom was still available to us.
It was clear that the colours didn’t mean anything. The problem is that the entire sticker thing is so absurd it’s difficult to believe any staff or councillor can pretend it isn’t.
There is also no way of even knowing if it was Burlington residents who put the stickers on, how many stickers one person put on the same item, and certainly it is a given that anyone who put their stickers on didn’t have the data,, the numbers and the information to do so in most cases because the city hasn’t given it to us. It’s pretty concerning that staff is referring to each sticker as representing “a vote.”
In what world is this silly sticker game representative of anything at all? And the city is using this to determine how they’ll spend millions of our dollars or to justify increasing spending and therefore taxes on things that people “voted for” without knowing how much they’d cost, what things will need to be cut in their place, or what in fact they entail?
The booklet given out at the Mayor’s budget meetings: same problem. The upcoming telephone town hall – a mere three days after release of the draft budget – same problem.
Only in Burlington do we think stickers on charts and surveys without details, costs and analysis of any kind count as “feedback”. And petitions, signed by hundreds and sometimes thousands of residents, don’t count.
And why won’t the city tell us how much this PR exercise cost? We shouldn’t be told to look it up on the budget document we don’t have. Just tell us the number. The CAO was asked at the event and said he didn’t know. Well he should, should he not??