ALBURY Council’s long running Saturday morning councillor interviews are set to be canned.
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The one-on-one sessions are traditionally held on the first Saturday of the month with only eight interviews held this year including the highest amount on one day since 2011 of four in May.
Councillors were recently surveyed on support services and feedback on the interviews was they were poorly attended and considered no longer effective or necessary.
The council’s finance and administration committee on Monday night will vote on a recommendation to dump the interviews, but the community will be advised they can make direct contact with councillors via email, phone or arranging a meeting.
Committee chairman Cr David Thurley said he supported ending the interviews.
“It is something that has been talked about for a while,” he said.
“The major issue is the frequency people avail themselves of the opportunity.
“I’ve been a councillor for over five years and have done the Saturday morning interview less than five times.
“I don’t think they are that effective any more.”
The most interviews conducted between 2011 and 2017 was in 2013 when 13 were held.
The bulk of them were requested by the Thurgoona Community Centre co-ordinator about activities at the site.
The report to be presented to the committee states council’s use of social media to communicate with ratepayers was working.
“Increased use of social media, along with the introduction of live streaming of meetings has enhanced our capacity for interacting and engaging with the community,” the report states.
“Further, the results of the most recent community satisfaction survey indicated that the community continue to be satisfied with the ease with which they can contact council and also the overall level of communication from council.”
Live streaming of council and committee meetings started in March this year after its introduction became an election issue last year.
Another option canvassed was continuing the Saturday morning interviews on a quarterly basis.
But it would result in individual councillors only being able to attend around two interviews in the council term.