If you feel strongly about a public issue or a local concern, you are encouraged to share your information and thoughts with Council. Because many issues can be resolved at the administrative level, it is recommended that you discuss your concerns with Town administration prior to appearing before Council. Town staff can provide you with valuable background information on the issue in question and/or recommend appropriate next steps that can remove the need to appear before Council or to help set the stage for a meaningful and constructive interview with Council.
Letters address to Council from residents normally include personal information, such as name, address, phone numbers, and possibly opinions and other personal information. In deciding whether to disclose the personal information of individuals at a public council or committee meetings, the Town Administration balances the dual objectives of open government and protection of privacy.
Please Note that Under section 197 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), meetings of a council or a council committee must be conducted in public, except where there is authority to hold the meetings in the absence of the public. Under section198 of the MGA, the public has a right to be present at council and committee meetings that are conducted in public. Given the public nature of council and committee meetings, an individual writing to council or to the Town administration may have a reasonable expectation that their correspondence, including their personal information, could be disclosed at a public council or committee meeting. Where the disclosure of such a letter would clearly be an invasion of the resident’s personal privacy but the personal information is needed by Council to fully inform their decision-making, the matter may be discussed in a portion of the meeting that is closed to the public. In that case, the letter would not be attached to or distributed as part of the agenda package.
For information on whom to speak to, please call the Town office at 403.647.3773, or submit your feedback.