District of Oak Bay

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 25, 2018

Mayor’s Task Force on Public Engagement Seeks Input from Oak Bay Residents

VICTORIA, BC – Municipal services and decisions affect the daily lives of residents and business owners. Whether it be the investment in roads and parks, land-use decisions, or taxation and budgeting, many of the decisions made today will also impact the lives of future generations living in Oak Bay.  It’s important local government decisions are informed by the people they affect. 

Starting this week, the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Engagement will be “popping-up” at various locations around Oak Bay to hear from residents about what topics are of greatest interest to them and how they like to receive information and provide input to the District. An online survey is also now live at www.oakbay.ca and print surveys are available at District Hall.

“This is a wonderful way for Oak Bay citizens, elected officials and staff to shape our public engagement efforts,” noted Councillor Tara Ney, Chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Engagement. “Citizens want to be informed and listened to when it comes to the services and issues that matter to them. This initiative will help guide how we can progress our engagement practices, together.”

Recognizing that supporting and understanding the needs of staff is key to effective public engagement, a facilitated focus group of staff will occur in late May. In mid-June, a community workshop will be held to consider the input in detail, review the progress made to date, and generate ideas for the future. The experience of other communities is also being considered.

This information will help tailor any investments or staff time to the public engagement needs of Oak Bay residents.  The Engagement Toolkit developed from this project will support Council and staff to plan public engagement approaches and activities. The outcome, a public engagement framework, and toolkit are intended to help improve transparency of processes and develop quality communications to support meaningful engagement and effective decision-making.

Recommendations will be presented to Council in the coming months outlining priorities for public engagement and a toolkit for staff and Council to guide future engagement efforts to encourage greater public participation in District decision-making.

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For media enquiries, please call:
Councillor Tara Ney, Chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Engagement
250.592.1966