Speak Your Mind
There are many ways to communicate your views to Council and staff.
1. Join Concerned Citizens. By joining, you'll have the opportunity to build support for your point of view within our group. You'll also increase Concerned Citizens' credibility and influence.
2. Send an email or a letter to your Councillor or a staff person. See Contact us (PEC Council and staff). Keep it short, polite and to the point.
3. Phone or ask for a meeting with your Councillor or a staff person. If you do, consider following up with an email or letter documenting your discussion; otherwise, there will be no permanent record of your contact.
4. Ask a question or make a comment at a meeting of Council or the Committee of the Whole. These meetings are open to the public. Prior notice is not required if you are speaking on a topic listed on the agenda.
5. Make a deputation at a meeting of Council or Committee of the Whole. See Deputations to Council and Committees. You must give 4 business days' notice to the County Clerk. You will have 10 minutes to speak. We recommend that you provide copies of your remarks as a handout, because the recorded minutes won't include details of what you said. Bring at least 22 copies and, optionally, four more for reporters from the local papers.
6.
Attend a public input meeting hosted by Council for the purpose of obtaining input from citizens. You don't have to speak; rather, you can demonstrate your interest just by attending, and your approval of a particular speaker by your applause (if permitted).
7. Speak at a public input meeting. Councillors know that, for each person who speaks, there are a hundred more who agree. The more speakers, the greater the impact on Council and staff.
Letters to the Editor
Alternatively or in addition, write a letter to the Editor and send it to all three local papers. If you submit it by Monday and keep it to 400 words or less, it's likely that it will be published in its entirety in the current week's edition. If not, phone the Editor and ask that it be published in the next edition.
Here are email addresses for letters to the Editor:
County Weekly News: countyweeklynews@bellnet.ca
Picton Gazette: gazette@bellnet.ca
Wellington Times: rick@wellingtontimes.ca