The Town is inviting residents to share their thoughts on how it engages with the community through a public survey and series of in-person engagement opportunities as part of the development of a refreshed Community Engagement Framework.
The survey is open now until August 4 and is one of several engagement opportunities being facilitated by the Town's retained consultant, StrategyCorp.
Residents are also encouraged to attend one of the following pop-up sessions or the Public Information Centre to learn more, ask questions, and share their feedback. No registration is required:
Pop-Up Sessions on Wednesday, July 22
- Memorial Park from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
- Virgil Sports Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Pop-Up Sessions on Thursday, July 23
- Community Centre Lobby from 9:30 a.m. to noon
- Sparky’s Park from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Public Information Centre on Thursday, July 23
- Community Centre Simpson Room from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The initiative supports Council's Strategic Plan under the pillar of Optimizing Organizational Excellence and is intended to help identify opportunities to strengthen how the Town informs, consults, and engages residents on municipal projects, programs, and initiatives.
The Town has continued to expand its public engagement efforts in recent years through a variety of engagement opportunities, including public information centres, surveys, project webpages, social media engagement, and other ways for residents to provide input. Participation levels across many of these initiatives have increased, reflecting the community's strong interest in local decision-making and helping to shape the future of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
While the Town has made significant improvements in community engagement, this review provides an opportunity to better understand what is working well, identify barriers to participation, and explore ways to make engagement opportunities more accessible, meaningful, and effective for residents.
The survey explores topics such as:
- Expectations for community input and participation;
- Satisfaction with current engagement practices;
- Preferred methods of receiving information and providing feedback;
- Opportunities to improve engagement processes; and
- Ways to make participation more accessible and meaningful.
Take the survey and stay up to date about the Community Engagement Framework.
Quotes:
"Strong community engagement helps build trust, strengthen decision-making, and ensure residents have meaningful opportunities to participate in shaping the Town’s future. We encourage residents to take part in the survey and in-person sessions to share their perspectives as we work to enhance our engagement practices." - Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa
"The Community Engagement Framework will help establish a consistent and effective approach to engagement across the organization. The feedback received through this process will help inform how the Town engages the public moving forward. Thank you to Town Staff and StrategyCorp for leading this project." - CAO Nick Ruller
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Media Contact:
Marah Minor, Corporate Communications Lead
905-468-3266 | communications@notl.com