Duane Hicks
With the terms on municipal boards and committees wrapping up at the end of November, the town is encouraging local residents to step forward and apply to become members.
“There’s a myriad of committees within the town and it’s crucial we get some volunteers out,” Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig said Monday.
“Here is an opportunity to partake in your local government,” he noted.
“And if you have a mind for it to participate further in the future, it’s a good way to get your feet wet.”
These boards and committees, which range from the economic development advisory committee and police services board to the Fort Frances Public Library board and the Sister Kennedy Centre board of management, “are the lifeblood of the municipality,” McCaig said.
“They’re so important to us,” he remarked. “We recognize our volunteers at an annual banquet.
“I can tell you from my experience during my tenure here that there is a real opportunity for volunteers to come forward and make a meaningful impact in the operations of the town,” McCaig added.
“We really need people to come forward and donate of their time. . . .
“This just isn’t lip service that you’re doing here. It’s real work, it’s real recommendations,” he stressed.
“Council has a lot of things on their plate. They can’t make decisions about all of things in a vacuum,” he reasoned.
“They need input from the rest of the community, and they rely on these committees.”
A listing of all of the committees, as well as information on the application process, can be found in an ad elsewhere in this week’s edition of the Times.
McCaig said if residents have questions about the committees or how to apply, they should feel free to call him or clerk Glenn Treftlin at 274-5323.
“We’ll help you out with this,” he pledged. “We really would like to see a healthy batch of applications for our committees.”
As previously reported, the terms for municipal committees recently were reduced from four years to two in an effort to attract more interest.
The only exceptions are the Fort Frances Public Library board and BIA, which continue to have four-year terms.
