ARAC chair El-Chantiry preparing for first meeting

WEST CARLETON – Coun. Eli El-Chantiry will chair his first Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee (ARAC) this Friday (Feb. 22).

While all rural councillors are mandated to sit on ARAC, this is the first time El-Chantiry has chaired the committee in his 16-year political career on City of Ottawa council.

“As part of this new role, I will provide updates on the latest news and information regarding my work on ARAC to keep residents informed,” El-Chantiry wrote in a statement.

The ARAC includes Chair El-Chantiry, vice chair Coun. Glen Gower and board members Coun. George Darouze, Coun. Scott Moffatt and Coun. Carol Anne Meehan. ARAC generally meets on the first Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. in the Chambers at Ben Franklin Place 101 Centrepoint Drive, Nepean.

One of the items on this special meeting’s agenda is the 2019 City of Ottawa Budget.

Members of the public are welcome to attend this meeting to listen in and to speak to the committee as a public delegation on any item on the agenda.

Committee meetings are always open to the public and the committee will receive presentations by members of the public and community organizations. If you would like to make a presentation or a statement to the committee, fill out a form that is available on a table at the entrance of the meeting room.

These forms are collected by the committee coordinator, just prior to the start of the meeting, and delivered to the chair of the committee. When the item you have asked to speak about comes up on the agenda, the committee chair will call your name and ask you to come forward and make your presentation or comments.

If you arrive after the start of a meeting, you can still fill in a “request to speak” form and have it taken to the committee coordinator. But if you are unable to attend, fear not, West Carleton Online will be.