Atmosphere around Innisfil council is ‘inviting’

Letter to the Innisfil Scope December 15 2010
I attended the town meeting Dec. 8th, anxious to see the new council in action.
I was out of the province for their first meeting on Dec. 1. Also, I was anxious to compare this experience with attendance at previous council meetings, with respect to the election promises of more openness.
Frequently in the past, I had found it difficult to hear what was being said, the content coverage often uninformative and a general waste of my time.
Right from the beginning of this meeting, the council was obviously taking a different approach. Mayor Barb Baguley covered some of the changes in procedure that they will be trying.
She frequently took time to see that the audience understood the item being discussed. The topic of the activity at Simcoe County council was added to the agenda, which I felt was very welcome. Also, I had no difficulty in hearing what was being said by the various members of council and staff.
I came away from the meeting pleased. I felt it had been informative, interesting and worthwhile. The change of procedure and attempt at more openness, while spearheaded by Baguley, seemed to be enthusiastically supported by all of council and the staff, particularly clerk Jason Reynar.
My opinions expressed here were shared by two colleagues who attended with me.
While this is only a start, I encourage the council to keep on with this effort, and hope they will be successful. I encourage other citizens to attend; I think they will be pleased with the change.
Don Avery, Chairman, The Innisfil District Association