What are Neighbourhood Meetings?
Neighbourhood meetings are an opportunity for Councillors and officers to listen and respond to community issues at a neighbourhood level. The meetings will offer a combination of specific issues set out in a formal agenda as well as open discussion of issues raised by the attendees.
By going out to talk to the residents of Wyndham, Council hopes to meet as many people as possible – in essence to bring the Council to the residents. In many senses, Neighbourhood Meetings are the next generation of ward meetings; they aim to present to residents a snapshot of what is happening in their community and to give them an opportunity to talk face to face with Councillors and the Executive about the things that are important to them.
How did the meetings come about?
When setting its objectives for the next three years, the Council looked seriously at how it engaged with the community.
It was felt important to ensure that, not only were the Council's objectives being met, but also that residents were sufficiently informed on issues impacting the municipality.
Neighbourhood Meetings were chosen as the best method of achieving this.
What do we hope to achieve?
Neighbourhood Meetings are seen as providing the best opportunity of engaging with the community in a new and meaningful way.
Unlike a formal Council meeting, regular neighbourhood meetings can be designed to allow Councillors and staff to focus in on community issues at a local level.
And unlike other forums on specific issues, these meetings will be much more informal to allow greater community participation in addressing local/municipal issues.
How will the meetings be structured?
Residents planning to attend a Neighbourhood Meeting are encouraged to either forward a written submission in advance or even to request time for an oral presentation on the night.
Issues can be raised on a much more informal and personal level with the Councillors present. The sorts of topics to be covered at these meetings might have a citywide or strategic focus but, equally, they may have local or neighbourhood significance. In some cases they may well have both.
The number of presentations at each meeting will be limited to give meeting attendees the maximum opportunity of raising their issues and small group discussions may also take place to ensure as many attendees as possible are given an opportunity to contribute to the discussion.
Supper will be served at the meetings to encourage residents to chat to the Councillors and Council officers present on an informal basis.