VALPARAISO | The Valparaiso City Council is the latest group to add its support to the Community Civility Counts initiative.
The council approved a resolution, 7-0, Monday night in support of the effort initiated jointly by the Gary Chamber of Commerce and The Times Media Co. to reverse incivility in public discourse.
"The Common Council of the City of Valparaiso, Indiana recognizes the citizenry of this great municipality desires to build a wonderful community in which we live, work and play," states the resolution.
It continues to state the way government reaches a decision can be as important as the actual decision; that meetings conducted in a fair, open and civil manner can enhance credibility and acceptance of that matter under consideration; that the city desires to create an atmosphere where everyone can manage the business at hand efficiently, fairly and transparently while adhering to commonly accepted practices of courtesy and decorum. It adds that the Community Civility Counts initiative is taking up the challenge to ensure an expectation of decorum is apparent in all public meetings.
The resolution gives the Community Civility Counts effort the council's support and promises to "strive to make citizen interactions with the city a positive experience for all parties."
The idea behind the initiative came together after the Gary Chamber's public policy committee discussions centered on making a positive impact in Gary and surrounding communities.
For more information on this campaign, and to see the newest anti-bullying initiative, visit the Civility Counts website at nwi.com/civilitycounts, the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/civilitycounts. Residents share uplifting anecdotes and observations about civility on social media, using the #CivilityCounts hashtag.