Let’s Talk, Carmel! That is the name of a new website that has been launched by members of the Carmel City Council as a way to answer commonly asked questions about a variety of issues related to the City, its government and its mission to become the best place to live in America.
Rider
“All seven of us represent a certain district or a certain set of Carmel residents who come from all walks of life,” said Council President Kevin Rider. “But we have noticed that the questions we hear during our meetings with constituents are often the same. We decided to launch this website in order to address the most commonly asked questions.”
As social media continues to grow and often dictate the course of debate on a local level, it has become increasingly difficult for elected leaders to answer all the questions and ensure that residents are getting facts from trusted sources and not just opinions.
Let’s Talk Carmel will become a repository of commonly asked questions and answers pertaining to the City of Carmel and the actions taken by its governing body. It is owned and operated by the Carmel City Council, and is intended to inform, not be a platform for addressing political opinions. There are a number of social media outlets for that debate.
Worrell
“We want readers of Let’s Talk Carmel to get simple, plainly-written and direct answers to the questions that they have,” said Council Vice President Jeff Worrell. “We feel we owe it to our constituents to be as transparent as possible about the things we do … and the reasons behind our decisions.”
While each of the Council members review and approve the responses, there will be times when individual members will want to offer an alternative opinion or additional thoughts. Those will be added to each answer as needed.
“I believe this is a transformative, if not a little risky, outreach tool for a City Council to use,” said Council Finance Chair Sue Finkam. “As in most things we do, Carmel’s leaders are attempting to do what has not been done before. We are taking an aggressive approach to creating a transparency portal … and we anticipate that our residents will appreciate the intent to inform and engage.”
Finkham
You can access the website at LetsTalkCarmel.com.