The Town of Petrolia is hosting its first town hall meeting in order to connect with more residents and hear questions directly from them.
Residents can meet with members of council and Acting Mayor Joel Field, who stepped in after Mayor R. Brad Loosely took a medical leave.
The meeting will be held at Victoria Hall, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26.
Director of Marketing, Arts, and Communications Laurissa Ellsworth said it's an informal event with no formal agenda or structure of council meetings.
"Traditional council meetings are one thing, but our mayor thought that this might be a nicer way for some people that would otherwise feel slightly uncomfortable to reach out, speak to councillors, and get to know the elected officials in the community," said Ellsworth.
Council members will not be able to discuss any current motions on the table but are otherwise able to answer any other questions residents may have.
"It [can be] as simple as a question about, 'What weekend is this happening?' or 'What road construction is taking place this summer?'"
A second town hall meeting will be held on October 25 and will follow the same format and timing.
Ellsworth said she suspects that the response to the two meetings will be discussed at a later date to see if it's beneficial to proceed with this initiative moving forward.