Mayor pursuing community outreach on social media to solicit residents’ input

By Greg Ellison

(Jan. 6, 2022) In addition to reviewing 2021 accomplishments at the Berlin Town Council meeting Monday, Mayor Zack Tyndall hopes to receive constituent opinions as he develops goals for 2022.

Tyndall said Berlin’s Town Charter requires the mayor to give the council an annual report. That summary will be delivered to the council on Jan. 10.

“It will include 2021 accomplishments of the town and also the first three months of 2020 when I was mayor,” he said. “It will recap that period.”

Tyndall, who had been serving on council, was elected mayor in October 2020 after garnering nearly 70 percent of the votes.

“It will provide a recap of the accomplishments operationally and town wide,” he said.

Earlier this week, Tyndall launched a social media outreach to solicit input on town objectives from residents.

“We’ve been getting some good stuff there,” he said.

Initial comments from community members has included potential goals for 2022, along with longer-term objectives.

“We all see different things,” he said.

In prior years, establishing annual town goals was principally handled by council.

“There’s never been a tangible conversation … about putting those goals in one place,” he said.

Tyndall is also looking to gather information from department heads and town staff.

“Get the council to weigh in on their thoughts and get the community to speak up,” he said.

During the council meeting on Jan. 24, Tyndall plans to review town wide goals for 2022.

Tyndall noted upgrading live-streaming capabilities for meetings is a likely goal for 2022.

“We will continue to stream our meetings on Facebook,” he said.

Upgrading equipment and expanding platforms are the next steps under consideration.

“We have access to the public access channels … built into our contract with Comcast,” he said. “There’s no reason we can’t upgrade that service to stream meetings.”

The advent of remote meeting access has helped enhance community involvement, Tyndall said.

“I’ve noticed a lot more people chiming in after the meetings,” he said.

Tyndall is also aiming to develop a strategic plan in 2022.

“We don’t have a list of capital priorities,” he said. “That’s why when I got into office, I said we need funds for a strategic plan.”

Since being elected mayor, Tyndall has begun working with council to establish a five-year comprehensive plan.

“It’s still in draft format but is something we will be using heavily for the upcoming budget cycle,” he said.

Residents wishing to provide input for 2022 goals, in addition to commenting on the Town of Berlin Facebook page, can also email MayorZack@berlinmd.gov or call 410-641-3858.