Notes from the Ashcroft council meeting on June 14.
Filming policy
Ashcroft council had its first look at a proposed commercial filming policy last week, when staff presented a draft document for review. The policy aims to “find a harmonious balance between commercial filming and the Village in order to minimize disruptions to residents and businesses,” according to the document.
Council discussed a few minor changes to the draft policy’s wording, and plan to review it again at a future meeting. Council will also explore the creation of a schedule of fees for filming on municipal property, which will then be included in Bylaw 833, the Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw.
Community engagement
Details about how and when Ashcroft council engages with the public have been outlined in a draft community engagement policy, reviewed by council last week.
The policy is a first step in developing a communications plan, following feedback from residents about the lack of clarity on when and how the public is invited to engage with council.
Council made note of a few small changes before discussing the need to differentiate between “transparency” and “participation”.
“I think there’s some confusion over transparency, that it means participation,” Coun. Deb Tuohey said. “I think that we are being very transparent. What we aren’t doing is having that participation, but that’s not what our meetings are for.”
Mayor Barbara Roden agreed, suggesting that an addition to the policy noting that not every decision needs a public consultation process should be included.
“At the end of the day, council is elected to make decisions,” Roden said. “People can certainly have input, but to have a public survey on everything we do means that nothing would get done.”
Council voted unanimously for an amended community engagement policy to be brought back for further review and/or adoption at a future meeting.
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