Letters - Thanks for stepping up

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Published on Saturday, May 26, 2018

Submitted

Neepawa Banner & Press

Dear Mr. Goertzen and Mr. Waddell:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your presentation during the Committee Hearing for Bill 19, The Planning Amendment Act. Many individuals put forward presentations to share their viewpoints on the legislation.

I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who presented at Committee, both with oral presentations and written submissions, for participating in an important legislative process. Our government believes strongly that the feedback of citizens is a valuable and important part of the democratic process.

In light of the concerns that were raised at the Committee, I want to inform you that our government has put forward, and passed, an amendment to Bill 19 to ensure the current process for publishing local notices remains unchanged. While our government remains committed to “Fair Say” for municipalities, we value important feedback provided to the Committee regarding Bill 19. I believe the amendment strikes an appropriate balance between our commitment to “Fair Say” and the concerns raised by presenters.

I look forward to working with both the MCNA and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to explore innovative strategies to enhance communication with Manitobans while continuing to respect the right of municipalities to determine how best to connect with their residents.

I would like to thank you again for your contributions to the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Honourable Jeff Wharton

Minister