The City of Pickering council carries out its responsibilities with diligence and dedication but it may be remiss in keeping its residents well informed.
When the Councillor Robinson kerfuffle erupted months ago, residents heard very little if anything from other councillors. The Mayor released a statement speaking for the Council. However, no public statements were forthcoming from the other councillors.
This lack of information or councillor feedback seems to be an ongoing problem with the City of Pickering. Its website is a challenge for getting news/City updated information. Councillor feedback or commentary is barely acceptable if any feedback is published. This is all a question of transparency, something behind which councillors cannot, nor should not hide.
Councillors are public representatives, so it is incumbent on them to keep their electorate well-informed. Pickering residents may not be as informed as they should be.
The City website is a serious challenge to navigate. Improved noticeably in the past year, it still is difficult to find needed information. Perhaps an index, a table of contents, a tag searching system may improve the site more. However, unless more resident avail themselves of the site, the City hears fewer suggestions than it needs to improve its site.
Be all the above as it may, the information posted by the City is lacking, lacking if detail, lacking in communication, lacking in updating, lacking in easy access. The City needs to work on improvements to its website, to its communication of information about its inner workings so people feel informed and council activity is as transparent and reported as it should be.
No councillor, nor the Mayor seem opposed to any commitment to improve communication as stated above. But lack of opposition does not mean support thereof. There is room for improvement and it should be undertaken. However, no matter what the City does, it has little validity or value if residents do not engage as responsible citizens should.
Communication between the City of Pickering and its residents is a two-way street.
