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As I write this, I am roughly 150 days into my time as Penfield Town Supervisor. It’s certainly been a busy five months, and I remain grateful for the opportunity to serve our community.

With this being a new role for me, I am often asked if the job is what I thought it would be.

In general, yes, the job is exactly how I thought it would be. It’s a more than full schedule of overseeing day-to-day functions to keep Town services running, working with residents to address questions and concerns, and identifying areas where we can further improve our community.

Enhanced communications efforts

One concern I’ve heard is that the Town does not communicate frequently enough. I appreciate the feedback, and I understand there is always room for improvement.

Listed below are a few changes and improvements to enhance communications and outreach with the community:

• Increased presence on social media, including establishment of a Facebook page specifically for the Town Supervisor
• Reintroduction of regular column from the Town Supervisor
• Addition of full-time Director of Communications

Additional ways you can receive current information and updates include:

• Meeting notices and agendas posted on the Town website
• Town Board: Meetings are held regularly, and public comment times are available. Town Board meetings are held weekly on Wednesdays beginning at 7 p.m. in the Penfield Town Hall Auditorium. If you are unable to attend in person, we stream meetings live.
• Boards and Committees: Very often, Town projects are discussed at the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings which are held a minimum once per month. If you are unable to attend in person, we do stream these meetings live as well.
• ALL meetings are recorded for playback at your convenience
• Website, including the news section on the homepage
• Social media

I plan to increase my communication with residents by publishing a column more frequently, but I intend to shift slightly from reporting on upcoming events to an emphasis on explaining and informing residents of the hows and whys of Town operations.

My goal is to have a frank and honest discussion of Penfield’s growth, budget development, facilities, taxes, and anything else you would like to hear about.

Stay engaged   

Speaking of frankness - communication is a two-way street.

It is the Town’s responsibility to disseminate information, but it is equally important that residents be actively engaged in the community and local government. I acknowledge the day-to-day efforts of local government may seem mundane, uninteresting, or even trivial, but decisions made locally often have the greatest impact on our daily lives.

Here are some easy ways to remain engaged with the Town:

• Sign up for the e-newsletter, published at least once a month
• Bookmark the Town website and Penfield Community Television website
• If you are on social media, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

I recognize some residents do not wish to or do not have access to digital media. 

To assist with this, consider the following:

• Free use of computers and internet at Penfield Public Library
• Digital signboards at Town facilities (coming later in the year)
• Notification via USPS mail for select projects and announcements in your neighborhood
• Specific questions? Call Town Hall (585) 340-8630
• Attend or watch public meetings

I look forward to working together.

Marie Cinti
Penfield Town Supervisor