East Ridge planning breakfast meetings

East Ridge City Council members are taking their show on the road.

Next Saturday, the council will begin its "Breakfast Connection" program, taking city officials to the public to answer questions and hear concerns.

"Most times citizens feel like they have to go to City Hall to express their views; this program allows us to take City Hall directly to them," City Manager William Whitson said. "We want to be open and proactive.

The gatherings, which are free, will feature not only city council members, but city administrators as well.

"The Breakfast Connection will be a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in the direction East Ridge is headed," Mr. Whitson said.

Residents are encouraged to ask questions about and offer suggestions for the future of the community, as well as to meet and mingle with their neighbors, he said.

Those attending the first Breakfast Connection will meet in the church's parking lot, where fact sheets and information about the city will be distributed and hot coffee and doughnuts will be served, the city reported in a press release.

Mayor Mike Steele said the breakfasts are an effort to ease the strictness that sometimes comes from agenda-scripted council meetings.

"We want to lower the barrier between politics and the people," Mr. Steele said. "Instead of having the citizens always come to us, we're going to take City Hall to them."

The meetings are planned once a quarter at various locations across the city.

Mr. Whitson said they aren't the only way officials try to reach out to residents. He points to the city's expanding Web site, which features in-depth reports on finances and dispatches from previous meetings as well as agendas for future gatherings.

"One of the strengths of East Ridge's government is its willingness to sit down and talk with residents, to listen and gain a deep understanding of the concerns that residents have," Mr. Whitson said. "This event is the chance for people to come out and let the City Council know what's important to them."