Coaldale residents will have a chance to have an informal conversation with council next week at the local Tim Hortons.
“From the very beginning of our term, we’ve made engaging the public in a proactive manner a priority,” said Town of Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn. “Last year, we began holding quarterly coffee events in the atrium of Civic Square but had fairly low turnouts. So this year, we’re going to hold them at local establishments like Tim Hortons where people naturally gather to engage in conversation and enjoy each other’s company.”
The quarterly coffee events are part of an engagement strategy council adopted in spring 2022. Councillors and staff from a featured town department will be at local hangouts each quarter this year to chat with residents.
“Our thinking is that by changing the location of these events to where people already frequent, we’ll be able to facilitate even more face-to-face conversation and do an even better job of keeping our residents involved in the decision-making process,” Van Rijn said.
The first coffee event will focus on financial services, specifically the town’s budget. It will be on Jan. 30 from 5-7 p.m.