ATED Talk has apparently inspired a District of North Vancouver clerk to change the way the government reaches out to citizens.
For those not familiar with TED Talks, they are a series of brief lectures on a variety of topics, hugely popular with intellectuals of the Facebook generation.
After seeing a talk that specifically criticizes municipalities for the dull, inaccessible legalese they use in public notices, resulting in apathy about the public process, Natasha Letchford sought to redesign them. They now include colour and graphics to help draw the reader in and they look great. The story is highlighted on the TED Talks blog this week. Good on Natasha and the district.
But why stop there?
A look at a typical district meeting agenda leaves one baffled as to what's going on.
To quote the title of an agenda item from last week's meeting: "Bylaw 7998: Rezoning bylaw 1296 - (PRO) ZONE Text Amendment File No. 09.3900.01/000.000."
Is this an important vote that will change the course of the district's future? Or is it some procedural housekeeping? In either case, it doesn't inspire anyone to turn off the TV and visit municipal hall on a Monday night.
Local government members like to talk a big game about the robustness of their public processes, but sometimes it's the little things that will make a big difference.
