City Launches Online Forum to Encourage Civic Engagement

The public now has a new way to weigh in on topics and projects involving the City of Encinitas.

The City has launched e-Town Hall, an online forum that allows citizens to offer comments and ask questions, participate in polls and visioning exercises, exchange ideas and share photos or documents for consideration.

The platform is powered by Peak Democracy, a non-partisan company that aims to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government. The online system is currently used by more than 80 government agencies across the nation, and the City of Encinitas is the first in San Diego County to use it.

The e-Town Hall platform is part of a one-year pilot program, and city staff plans to use it for a variety of topics and projects. To kick off the new forum, city staff is asking the public to participate in a poll that asks: “How important is it for off-leash dog hours to remain at Encinitas Viewpoint, Orpheus and Sun Vista parks once the new dedicated 2-acre off-leash dog park is open at Encinitas Community Park?”

To participate, the public can access e-Town Hall through the homepage of the City’s website.

—City of Encinitas