An upcoming Clarkston town hall meeting was created to roll out the city’s new website, but is now open to all topics.
“It will be informal, a chance for people to come talk to someone from city council, planning commission ? to bend their ear about whatever,” said Council member Al Avery, chair of the city Communications Committee.
The open house is next Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., at Independence Township Fire Station 1, 6500 Citation Drive. City treasurer and administration departments, Historic District Commission, and other officials have been invited.
“City Council meetings can be intimidating, in front of people and with the camera running,” Avery said. “Here, we’ll have refreshments, a relaxed vibe for people to learn things.”
Big topics in the city include the proposed expansion of city hall
“We haven’t made a decision yet ? we have to see the bids,” Avery said. “What will it cost, how would it affect the budget overall for the next 10-15 years. We have to think about what needs to happen with roads and sidewalks. That all needs to be factored in.”
They’ll also share information about the new website, www.villageofclarkston.org.
“Our goal is to keep the website updated and organized so people can go to it anytime and get the information they need. It’s about making it more efficient,” he said.
Feedback on the website has been positive so far, he said.
“I haven’t heard anything negative on it yet,” he said.
Next on the Communications Committee’s agenda is how the city uses social media.
“Make sure we’re doing it the right way,” Avery said. “We’ll look at oher towns and see how they do it. It’s ultimately about getting information out to the people. Today is different from even five years ago. Now, people are looking on their phones, so we need to make it mobile friendly.”