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As the receiver of nearly every document and record that passes through the town government, the Clerk's office is primed to be a source of information for residents and the town government.
Below are my ideas to advance clear and open communication within our community.
Advance Freedom of Information
Advance Freedom of Information
I would enact practices to make our town more forthcoming with any and all public-facing documentation. Our town leaders need the right information to make the right decisions, and our residents and business owners also need to communicate their needs to leadership, as well as choose the right leadership to tackle those problems.
In the Hudson Valley One, Supervisor Courtis was noted as saying:
"The current way of obtaining information from the town is through a freedom of information request and waiting for a determination whether it can be released. A lot of that can be streamlined by simply releasing information that is appropriate for public consumption."
I absolutely agree with this, and think we should make all public records and reports not just available online, but easily findable and organized. Resolutions should be posted on our website in a timely way, just like Hurley does. And as you can see, the website is a crucial tool for accomplishing all of this.
Read more about my plans to make the website a vital component of the Town Clerk's job.
Establish a Local Emergency Alert System
Establish a Local Emergency Alert System
With the extreme weather we've had this winter, it's important for residents to learn of time-sensitive updates that could help keep them safe. I propose enacting an emergency alert system, that residents can sign up for to receive urgent updates.
Other towns have done this, like Shandaken. In addition to social media, we should have this outlet too. We could share updates on closings and travel disruptions, burn bans, utility outages, and where emergency warming centers have opened.
Uphold the Open Meetings Law
Uphold the Open Meetings Law
As a member of the Housing Committee, I know how important it is to make committee meetings open and available to the public. Doing so is also one of our duties according to the Open Meetings Law, which sets the rules for when and how meetings should be publicized, held, broadcast, and kept record of (i.e. meeting minutes).
A lot of work is in progress by several committees, such as the Environmental Commission (WEC), Complete Streets, and the Tree Committee, to name only a few (see a full list of our committees here). The role of a town committee is to make recommendations to the Town Board, serving as advisory groups. And they too must make their meetings and minutes accessible to the public. As Town Clerk, I would use my position to oversee the collection, organization, and upkeep of all records related to committee meetings.
I've made it my goal to attend a meeting by each active committee, in order to meet its members and learn about what they are working on. As Town Clerk, I would help connect our committees' work to our townspeople and business owners through regular reports and newsletters.
Distribute a Town Newsletter
Distribute a Town Newsletter
One of my favorite ideas by neighboring towns is sending out a newsletter to town residents. This would be an informative, monthly or quarterly digest of important updates, upcoming events, and topics residents should be aware of. Here is an example of what Hurley has done.
I propose the Town Clerk's office compile a regular newsletter to publicize relevant news, committee updates, and recent proposals and resolutions that our Town Board has passed. Our committees often host community events, educational offerings, and offer resources that our residents and elected leaders would greatly benefit from, but we don’t have a central and organized platform to publicize town events, aside from the town calendar.
As a member of the Outreach Subcommittee on the Housing Committee, I manage our e-mail list and coordinate all email campaigns. As Town Clerk, I would develop an opt-in mailing list, tailoring it to topics that the community is interested in. I would send this out by email, but if there is enough interest, it could even be sent out by mail.
What would you like to see in a regular newsletter? Send me your ideas here!
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