Establishing a neighbourhood liaison position in communities with a high proportion of new immigrants and developing an “aggressive strategy” to increase voter registration are among the actions in a report that Vancouver city council voted to move forward on today.

Councillors supported a motion from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson directing city staff to review and report back to council on implementation of the recommendations from the Mayor’s Engaged City Task Force.

The group’s final report also calls for priority actions including developing a “Charter of Roles, Rights and Responsibilities” for the planning process, promoting the city’s 3-1-1 phone service with a focus on non-English-speaking communities, and expanding the distribution of notification mailouts for rezoning applications.

“It is clear from the feedback the task force received that there are common areas of concern, but also shared aspirations for an engaged city,” task force member Lyndsay Poaps told city council today (April 2).

“People want to see stronger voter turnout, greater neighbourhood capacity and staff resources for engagement, enhanced clarity in city programs, decision-making, and collaboration. They want a broader knowledge and understanding of planning issues among residents, and increased respect and dialogue between the city and neighbourhood residents.”

The task force also recommended ideas for community action, including community bulletin boards and bringing people together over food.