|
Council To Go
Council to Go is the mobile district office for Patrick Dowd at City Council. Council District 7 staff will be available to hear your concerns, respond to questions about city services, and give information about legislation in Council.
Full Council to Go Schedule
Councilman and Neighborhoods Reinvent the District Office
Multi-neighborhood Council to Go program
launched at Bloomfield Farmers Market on May 15, 2008
May 1, 2008 – The office of City Council member Patrick Dowd announces the launch of a new outreach program this spring: Council to Go. Council to Go serves as a roving constituent service counter, bringing residents in multiple neighborhoods improved access to City government.
“On the campaign trail and in office, I’ve heard many residents call for more contact with their Council representatives,” says Dowd. In and around the Pittsburgh region, traditional district offices are becoming increasingly rare for local elected officials, and some may require significant travel for constituents living in neighborhoods removed from a district office.
Amy Enrico, owner of Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro in Highland Park, approached Dowd with a solution during his 2007 campaign for Council. Enrico proposed bringing elected officials to the neighborhoods they represent, to talk to people where they already gather—places like her café. “My business is the perfect place, because people gather and connect here,” Enrico says. “It provides a fertile ground for discussions and creative solutions.”
Council to Go sessions will offer opportunities for people to speak to Dowd or his staff about the issues that matter to them. Because most sites have Wi-Fi internet access, they will have the same resources of their downtown office on the fly. Sessions will also provide information on legislation in Council, guidance for involvement in the legislative process, forms for commonly requested City services, and access to the 311 service center.
Five neighborhoods will host monthly Council to Go sessions: Bloomfield, Friendship, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, and Polish Hill. The first session is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Bloomfield Farmers Market.
“I promised my constituents that I would improve their access to City government and the services they receive, while being responsible with their hard-earned tax dollars,” says Dowd. “Council to Go is a ‘win’ on all of these levels, but especially because voices across the entire district will be heard.”
The prospect is valuable to Terry Doloughty, President of the Polish Hill Civic Association. “The fact that this is done with no expense to the tax payer is amazing; the fact that we have a chance to have real contact and involvement is priceless.”
CONTACT: Sean Capperis, 412.255.2140
|