Crystal Thomas
The State Journal-Register
Springfield residents will have a chance to ask questions of the mayor, their alderman and city staff at ward meetings that start Monday.
The first meeting will be for Ward 7 residents and will be 5:30 p.m Monday at Hope Presbyterian Church, 2211 Wabash Ave. Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin will be present.
Though the meetings start with a welcome by the ward’s city council member and introductions of staff by the mayor, the rest of the time allotted is for residents to tell city officials what they think.
“We really turn it over to the residents to ask their questions,” city communications director Julia Frevert said. “We try to stay quiet because we don’t want to dominate those meetings.”
Suggestions and questions from previous ward meetings prompted Frevert to create a weekly email with announcements that go to all neighborhood associations. The meetings also led to changes in the city’s website. Examples of change can be found in city departments other than hers, she added.
The city also keeps a database of comments from the previous three years to know what to work on and to show residents how issues brought up in previous years have improved.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 