The Burnaby First Coalition has scheduled its first of four town hall meetings to gather feedback from residents regarding local issues.
On Tuesday, Sept. 30, council candidates from the BFC will be on hand to hear concerns from citizens about issues in Burnaby and engage in informative discussions. The meeting will be held at Burnaby First’s campaign office.
“We committed to talking to 3,000 or 4,000 residents before we finalize our platform, and we’re getting close to that number right now,” said BFC mayoral candidate Daren Hancott. “After the town hall meetings, we will have listened to an awful lot of residents so we can align our policies with their views.”
Hancott said members of the coalition have spent the past few months knocking on doors in Burnaby and speaking with residents about such concerns as lack of transparency from city hall.
“There’s a lot of things people are concerned about and they’re not getting responses from city hall,” he said. “One person told me they made 27 phone calls and emails to try to get them to come out and cut down a tree.”
The meeting will kick off with a short introduction by Hancott, followed by one-minute addresses by all present BFC candidates. Attendees will then be given a few minutes each to express their concerns with the city.
In anticipation of time constraints, the BFC will be unable to respond to all concerns, though candidates and volunteers will document all issues raised at the meeting. The meeting will conclude with a small networking session for constituents to speak with candidates.
“It’s giving a chance to see a new party with a different philosophy, (which is) basically a time for change at city hall,” said Hancott.
The meeting runs from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Odd Fellows Lodge, 7728 Edmonds St.
