This week end will see the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities annual meeting in Nanaimo. For more about AVICC see: http://www.avicc.ca/ If you want to know more about the conference itself, see the program at: http://www.avicc.ca/upload/nwd101.pdf
This is only one of the municipal meetings that are aimed at Municipal Councils, and Municipal Management Staff. There are many opportunities to share information about running a city and managing citizens which are held each year. Others include:
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities: 2009 Conference June 5-8 in Whistler.
The Local Government Management Association of BC: Conference in Nanaimo, June 9-11.
The Union of British Columbia Municipalities: Conference Sept 28 - October 2 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Vancouver Island Chapter of the Local Government Management Association of BC, Nov 4-6, at the Crown Royal Resort in Courtney.
There are still others for various professionals, i.e. planners, engineers, personel folks, IT types, etc. etc.
These conference help city management and employees to keep up with what is happening in the field and to exchange ideas on how to better manage their flocks. On the whole, I would say that this is a laudable practice. But does it not seem strange that there are no such meetings for citizens and taxpayers which could serve to focus on their interests and how to achieve them. Will we always be outclassed? Is their promise in a citizens protection league or some such organization?