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Resident urges Essex County to improve meeting publicity after low turnout
Summary
A Central District resident told supervisors the county’s special meeting advertisement was unclear and unlikely to attract attendees, and county staff said the notice met legal requirements and that school topics were not submitted for inclusion.
Sarah Lavica, a Central District resident, addressed the Essex County Board of Supervisors during public comment on Nov. 5 and urged clearer advertising for county meetings.
"I was really pleased to be at the special meeting ... this ad is not exactly gonna get people there," Lavica said, criticizing the type size and wording of the printed notice and suggesting the county explore other outreach such as a newspaper column or school-based notices to parents. She said the joint meeting of the board and school board had been informative but suggested the advertisement failed to convey key topics and drew limited attendance.
A county staff member responded that the advertisement the county placed met the Board of Supervisors' legal notice requirements and that the school division had not provided topics for the county's notice; that lack of submitted topics limited what appeared in the county advertisement. The chairman noted the joint meeting had been recorded and posted to YouTube and said the board would continue to encourage public participation.
The public comment and staff exchange did not produce a specific directive recorded in the meeting minutes; the board said it would try to improve outreach where feasible.
