Atwater city officials want to hear from residents

Atwater officials want to hear from city residents during a town hall meeting Wednesday night – and no topic is off limits.

“They can come in and ask the questions they’ve wanted to ask in a relaxed atmosphere,” said Mayor Jim Price. “This forum is going to be for any concerns anybody has. It’s their government, and we want to hear from them.”

Price said the city hosted town hall meetings many years ago, but hasn’t held any in recent years. The mayor said it was one of his campaign promises to increase accessibility, transparency and openness in the city’s government.

“It encourages people to be a part of the process,” Price said. “This isn’t my government – it’s the citizens’. We want to give them an opportunity to have a say-so in exactly what they want to do and where they see the city going.”

Residents will first hear about the city’s neighborhood watch program, followed by brief presentations from police, fire and economic development officials. Then the forum will be opened to residents to ask any questions they have.

A number of city department heads will be on hand to answer questions, Price said. If an answer is not immediately available, the mayor said, officials will get back to the person.

The Atwater town hall meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Community Center, 760 East Bellevue Road, in the Jessie Frago meeting room.

This story was originally published January 20, 2015 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Atwater city officials want to hear from residents."