The newly launched Participate Chapel Hill website is a good move for the town to promote transparency and local involvement.
This new initiative, which is a section of the town’s website, makes local government data more accessible to the public in an attempt to increase informed idea sharing and dialogue.
It utilizes an open data component — a database of government information. This tool is already being used in Raleigh.
Participate Chapel Hill creates a give-and-take system in which the town makes information about the government publicly available, and residents can respond with their feedback.
It is essential for residents to be aware of what is going on in their community so that when decisions are made, they have appropriate background knowledge and can engage in the debate.
Participate Chapel Hill will be useful for those who want to be more actively involved in their community and local government, but don’t know where to go or how to go about doing it.
Participate Chapel Hill can be used as a starting point. Residents should make use of the website and the related initiatives, such as Participate Chapel Hill’s social media websites.
It is a positive for community members that the town has instituted this new model where many things are easily accessible.
Participate Chapel Hill is a component of the Chapel Hill 2020 initiative to implement the town’s vision for the future.
