Merritt City Councillors Tony Luck and Melvina White are utilizing a new way to bring information to the community by holding a monthly live stream called Off the Clock City Talk.

The videos are part of the Nicola Valley Talk series, which are hosted on the Experience Nicola Valley Facebook page. 

So far, Luck and White have presented the facts on Development Cost Charges (DCC) and, perhaps the hottest topic in the Nicola Valley as of late, water. 

Without debate, the pair answer frequently asked questions and address concerns from a variety of studies and reports by both the City and field experts. 

After hearing from citizens that were confused about numerous issues brought to Council, and encountering hostility about some of the decisions made by Mayor Brown, Council, and staff, Councillor Luck jumped at the opportunity to discuss these topics and shed light on them. 

“I decided to get involved with this program because I saw it as a great opportunity to help residents of Merritt better understand some of the more complex issues Mayor and Council have to deal with on a regular basis,” said Luck. 

“I felt it was an opportunity to learn more myself, but also to teach about different aspects of the City’s operations and some of the challenges the City has in delivering services to our citizens. The aim of the program is to help educate the public with the facts and not to debate issues. We felt that if we could explain certain issues like, for example DCCs, in a manner people could understand, they would have a better grasp of why we make some of the decisions we do around the council table.” 

Future topics in the works include the pressing issue of housing within Merritt, and transportation. 

To watch Off the Clock City Talk, visit the Experience Nicola Valley Facebook page or website.