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Town hall meeting planned in Harrison Hot Springs

Harrison residents invited to bring fresh ideas to round table

Harrison residents are being asked to envision the future of their community.But rather than written submissions or a community poll, the Village has decided to hold an information gathering round table meeting. The meeting is being held on January 17 at Harrison Memorial Hall, and Mayor Leo Facio said he hopes the community turns out in full force, with plenty of fresh ideas and feedback.

They are asking three basic questions: what residents like about the Village, what they don't like about it, and what they would like to see for the future.

"We're not perfect," Facio said of elected council. "Maybe there is someone out there who has some fabulous idea on Harrison, and how to make is sustainable."

The meeting will not be conducted by council, or even Village staff. They have hired Tennant-Derksen Creative Strategies to facilitate the meeting. However, council members will be at the meeting, to hear the comments firsthand.

The meeting is scheduled to run for two hours, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will be the facilitator's job, once the meeting is over, to compile the information gathered and present it to council at a future meeting.

"It's like a townhall meeting," Facio said. "It's something I had on my to-do list when I was being elected, and then Councillor (John) Buckley came up with this and we decided to go ahead with it."

Some people don't always want to come to council, he said, or visit the Village office to discuss their concerns. This is an opportunity for those people to be included in a different format.

"This is an overall community gathering," he said. They are expecting a high turnout, and advise that people arrive early to ensure a seat at the table.

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Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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