First it was a mayor's email list, now a councillor is hoping to reach out.
This week, Coun. Bryan Raiser announced that he will be "doing his part to help bridge the communication gap that exists between the public and the local government" with a monthly newsletter designed to address issues and provide easy contact for citizens.
"I've always said I can't do this job alone. This newsletter was an obvious decision to make," stated Raiser in a news release. "Over the last decade I communicated with the people of Squamish many ways, but mostly it was with my opinion column, Cynical Sunshine."
A newsletter archives and opportunity to contact Raiser is available at bryanraiser.com.
But communication is not as easy as it may seem. Close attention must be paid to sensitive issues, such as those discussed in camera.
"That has actually been one of the biggies right from the get go," said Raiser. "Not just in the newsletter but every day talking to everyone you have to constantly keep track of exactly what you can and can't say. It's definitely a big part of the public office learning curve."
However council and Mayor Greg Gardner greeted Raiser's initiative "very warmly." "Communication is a big priority for all of us," he said, adding, "the more I communicate with the people of Squamish, the better my decisions will be."
