Below is a message from Mayor Haynes to Community Associations re community engagement efforts during the continuing Covid times, for your information.
Hello Community Associations and SCAN,
Please see this link to the Report to Council dated January 12, 2021, Ministerial Order no. 192 for our meetings held February 1 – April 30, 2021. The recommendation from the Report is also attached. This was passed at Council last night. It is our third renewal of this Order.
Council and staff share with you the lament at the absence of opportunities to see you and residents in the Chamber. Ministerial Order 192 is an essential piece that allows us to conduct and complete the essential business of the municipality. To deliver the essential municipal services you all depend on during these COVID times.
We thank you for your patience and for remaining engaged. This greatly assists our work on your behalf. An interesting set of numbers: In 2020 council has received and processed some 6162 pieces of written correspondence on our agenda items. This is an increase from 4220 in 2019. The phone call-in system is also working well. These outcomes indicate that our Community Associations and residents are able to continue to be engaged in the work at Council. Together with staff we greatly appreciate that.
We know, COVID will be with us for some time. To improve our community engagement, staff and council are working flat out to accelerate critical upgrades to our IT and video systems that will enable your online participation in our meetings. Think large participation MS Teams meetings? I am undertaking with staff and council to keep you informed on these and hope to share more news soon.
Separately, we have the email from SCAN requesting details on the Community Associations criteria for your works on community engagements. Staff and I are preparing the materials in reply, and these should be available soon.
Thank you for all you do to help make Saanich the amazing place it is to live, work and play. Please stay safe and well and look after each other.
Kind Regards,
Fred
Fred Haynes
Mayor