My View: Barnstable's big on citizen engagement
Paula Schnepp
Citizen engagement. I’ve seen it in abundance this week: citizens in Centerville meeting with DPW staff to hear about the location of a pump station and five Town Councilors in attendance; *Comprehensive Financial Advisory Committee(CFAC) members debating then recommending ways to finance our 30-year wastewater plan; our youth learning and providing feedback about wastewater and climate change; and residents weighing in at Planning Board and ZBA meetings on proposed zoning changes.
In Heather Hunt’s Op-ed last week, she called out the town for failing to fully engage its citizenry, especially around issues on zoning changes. I think she’s mistaken. While I believe there’s always room for improvement, I know that the Town Council is fully committed to making sure all residents, whether retired or working two or three jobs, homeowners or renters, have a voice at the table. What I can’t guarantee is that folks will always like the decisions that we have to make.