Just a suggestion really.

since a lot of the stuff brought up here is relating to council issues and decisions and we are the people you represent how about having some sort of representation on here? Surely its quicker and cheaper than us writing to you?

If you are serious about improving this city then you have a completely free and accesible ideas/focus groups to use here.

just redrobbo as far I remember.

Perhaps the forum ought to be a place where they don't have to work if they don't want to! I wouldn't thank anyone nominating me for questions about insurance, although I have helped people out with questions when I felt like it.

I meant kind of official like. They must have people who deal with correspondence etc. Maybe they could alocate an hour or 2 a week to respond to questions raised.

Maybe Geoff might consider an area set aside for 'Questions and Comments for your local councellor/MP'?

It would have to be with the local councellor/MP's consent though. But it's worth considering for the future - though I expect they are rather busy with lots of other things so wouldn't be able to commit a great deal of time to the forum, but it's a good way to access views and comments from the voters - and if they wanted to - they could access it all from the comfort of their own home.

Although I am a city councillor, I am on the forum in a personal capacity, and would wish to remain so.

It is a difficult balancing act though. Given the nature of certain threads, I feel the need to be open and declare an interest.

As a result, I came in for some stick on the G8 summit thread, as my posts were conceived by some forummers as representing the views of my political party. They were not, they were my own.

Only the weekend before last, a forummer posted concerns about illegal activity, including drug trading, at a council run car boot site. How could I possibly ignore that? So, I sent the relevent information to a senior council officer, and yesterday, the car boot site was patrolled by police, trading standards and custom & excise staff.

I have followed the Great Big Graffiti Debate thread with interest. I have recently announced on that thread that the council is convening a Working Party to examine all issues relating to graffiti and fly-posting, and have invited forummers to assist. I have this evening received a PM from a graffiti artist, who is willing to give the council his views, and make some suggestions on a way forward.

I've posted information on choice-based lettings for council homes, and as a result answered PMs from forummers about their individual circumstances. The same happened over a noise abatement issue.

I've discovered that the number of council-related issues on the forum is quite high, so I can see why robbie has made his suggestion. But I personally would not wish to become the forum's resident councillor. There are 84 city councillors, and, outside some general issues, far better that forummers deal with their local councillor - that's what we all got elected for!

However, you can be assured of one thing - I take great interest in the views expressed on the forum about the council, and feed them back to my fellow councillors. The forum is a great listening post you see! :thumbsup:

Very suprised by your comments Redrobbo. I was selling at the said mentioned car boot on Sunday and I didn't see one policeman or anyone that looked official. Were they all undercover?

Probably a bit of a waste of time though; presumably counterfeiters can read this forum as well as anybody else, and you wouldn't have to be Brain of Britain to work out that the response to that thread might be an increased regulatory presence, which probably means they went somewhere else. Can we inquire, redrobbo, as to what the results were? Was anybody nabbed?

I suppose that it is in the nature of politics, but it is interesting to note that, while redrobbo is happy to appraise us of his own actions, he chooses not to point out that there is, in fact, another councillor on this site.
OK, it is not his job to do so. But, I believe he is aware that 'jgharston' is Councillor Jonathon Harston, Liberal Democrat for Walkley Ward.

I think it would be unfair to ask redrobbo to be here in his official capacity.
It would take away all his fun of being able to speak as he wants.
he would be forever quoted when all he was doing was expressing his own personal feelings.

So he would not be allowed to have any.

I for one know that red is a councillor but I'm not sure whiich party, as I take his posts to be personally his not representing his party.

hazel

I also would not wish for nor expect any official council representation on this site.
Many on this site are always happy to help individuals to find the relevent council official, councillor or information to help solve problems/queries that pop up.

I know that some officers and (other) councillors do read the Forum pages (I don't know if they are members) for their own interest and was amused to here The Forum being quoted several times at a recent Area Panel meeting.

Originally posted by metalman
Probably a bit of a waste of time though; presumably counterfeiters can read this forum as well as anybody else, and you wouldn't have to be Brain of Britain to work out that the response to that thread might be an increased regulatory presence, which probably means they went somewhere else. Can we inquire, redrobbo, as to what the results were? Was anybody nabbed?

Thanks for jogging my memory metalman. I have now posted information on the Hypocrisy/Copyright Theft in Sheffield thread.

Red

there are 84 councilors?

if everyone was prepared to spend one hour out of their working week to view/look at/ answer questions related to their area on a specific forum surely that will do both the councilors and their electorate a big favour?

It just seems that tey have a free focus group here which is quite mixed.

The threads could be made by councilors only about issues that they are looking at.

It is a laudable concept.
However, the council and our representatives are primarily responsible to their electorate.
While this forum may give some insight into opinions on various local issues, it is anonymous and you have no idea as to the origin of the posts and posters.

I think it is an excellent debating ground but when it comes to the crunch, residents should be encouraged to make direct contact with councillors and officials themselves. (e-mail is free!)
This keeps them accountable.

By all means keep us informed with responses etc. but I would be disappointed if my representative or a council officer took action based upon an anonymous source.

Originally posted by robbie
there are 84 councilors?

if everyone was prepared to spend one hour out of their working week to view/look at/ answer questions related to their area on a specific forum surely that will do both the councilors and their electorate a big favour?

It just seems that tey have a free focus group here which is quite mixed.

The threads could be made by councilors only about issues that they are looking at.

Cllr Harston is a member of this forum and is actually the local councillor for your area walkley.

Why not PM him if you have any issues.