The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has contacted the village office to apologize after controlled avalanche blasts on Feb. 1 scared a number of locals.
The ministry has expressed its interest in working with the village office to explain how blasting areas are determined. Ways are being sought to better communicate with the office, whose staff were unaware of the blasts beforehand.
Several councillors were among those who had dog troubles when the blasts occurred, with Coun. David Lepsoe’s dog running away.
Joni Heinrich, chief administrative officer, says it can be a difficult task to inform people as the ministry itself usually only knows a few hours before the procedures take place.
The other problem is that the village itself currently does not have any effective means of getting information out to the public in a timely manner.
Council members discussed how local newspapers are, for the most part, on a weekly schedule, and the signal for many radio stations cannot be picked up within the village.
This has been an ongoing discussion said the councillors during a recent meeting.
Village staff are now doing research into ways the village could be communicating more regularly and effectively with the community.
“We are discussing the use of social media, making some changes to the village’s current website and using the LED sign at the community hall for more types of communications,” says Heinrich.
Village council welcomes suggestions and ideas from the public on this topic.
“That is why we now have monthly ‘committee of the whole’ meetings which occur at 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month,” explains Heinrich.
During the meetings there is a section on the agenda set aside for public input.
