No town hall meetings

Photo: Darren Handschuh

There will be no town-hall style meetings anytime soon after Vernon City Council voted down the idea Monday.

It was proposed council hold a town hall meeting next month with no specific agenda, allowing people to bring up whatever issues they want to discuss.

Counc. Scott Anderson said the city could have a test run next month to see if the idea will work and Counc. Catherine Lord said she was willing to give the idea a trial run, but the majority of council disagreed.

Counc. Brian Quiring said the open house would be a “huge make-work project” and questioned the efficiency of such a format.

“All of these issues are going to be raised and what are you going to do with them?” he said, adding people can already send their concerns to council via emails or phone calls. “If you have a concern, phone us.”

Quiring said he feels the current process is working well, citing how quickly people get email responses from Mayor Akbal Mund and other members of council.

“A big public forum could really be a disaster,” he said.

Counc. Juliette Cunningham said she shares Quiring's concerns and if a town hall meeting was held, it should have clear parameters or it could be “an exercise in frustration.”

The public can also approach council during a regular council meetings or public hearings with their concerns, but Lord said that can be intimidating for some people.

“A more informal town hall meeting would allow more people to come forward,” she said. “I would like to see something that is a little more informal.”

Anderson said the current system is working well for people who know how to use it, but pointed out many people do not know how to use email or social media to contact elected officials.

Quiring said people will talk his ear off about issues when he talks to them in public and if an open forum was held “we will lose focus.”

Quiring also pointed out public forums in the past have been poorly attended and wondered of a town hall meeting would do any better.

In the end, the majority of council, including Mund, voted against holding an open forum town hall meeting.