About

Welcome to The Bear Valley Exchange. This site is the Bear Valley Community Services District's (CSD) online engagement platform. Our community thrives when residents are engaged, whether that's serving on the Board of Directors, as a volunteer on a committee, or simply by being an active part of the process. We believe that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. The Bear Valley Exchange is part of the BVCSD's effort to make it easier for residents to become informed and involved in our local government.

This online platform offers a variety of interactive tools, including discussion forums, polls, surveys and crowdsource mapping. Use the site to contribute your ideas and ask questions. Our Communications Specialist will have an active presence on the platform throughout the week to answer your questions about the projects and initiatives featured here.

The BVCSD will use your online feedback in conjunction with more traditional efforts to reach a more representative cross-section of our community. 

To learn more, please explore the platform and review the following question and answers:

Question: How do I submit my feedback?

Submit your feedback via the online discussion forums, quick polls, forms and surveys relevant to each of the projects currently open for consultation.

To participate for the first time, simply:

• Sign up for The Bear Valley Exchange by clicking on the "Sign In" button in the top right of any page
• Choose a username and password
• Answer a few questions about yourself
• You will receive an email to validate your email address
• Return to the website and click the "Sign In" button

Note: Your comments will appear under your username. This username is the only information about you that is publicly visible.

Question: Why is the BVCSD engaging online?

Traditional public participation usually involves attending public meetings or providing written submissions to the Board. This can be time consuming, inconvenient, and even intimidating. However, The Bear Valley Exchange gives you the opportunity to share your ideas and concerns, to ask questions about projects that are important to you, to discuss topics with your neighbors, and to be a part of the community from the comfort of your home. This platform helps us provide you with the information and opportunity to participate in a meaningful way.

• It is a quick, safe and convenient way to have your say on a range of topics.
• It is a great way to keep up to date and contribute your views on issues that are important to you.
• You can see what other community members think about an issue or topic, respond with your own views and engage in a discussion.
• You don't have to attend community meetings at a set place and time, you can contribute at a time and place that suits you.
• It allows for a range of different people, with different views, to discuss matters that impact on their community without the negativity that accompanies social media.
• On social media, conversations about our CSD and community take place in many different locations. With limited time and staff, it's impossible for us to 'listen' effectively. This platform allows us to share detailed information and listen for your input far more effectively.

Question: Why do I need to register for this site to make a comment?

While registration is not required to view the site, it is necessary for many of the more interactive engagement opportunities. We ask you to register to the website for a few reasons:

• It promotes accountability and encourages people to provide more thoughtful responses.
• We can use email to let you know when there are updates or something major changes about the projects you're interested in.
• We can filter the responses according to the questions you answer. This raises a flag for us if something seems to be significantly impacting certain groups within our community, and to hear specifically from the people that are impacted by a project or decision.

Question: Can I use this site anonymously?

Yes, you can use this website anonymously. Even when you register and post comments, your can choose to hide your identity behind your chosen screen name.

Questions: What happens to my feedback/comments?

All comments, ideas and suggestions are collated and used by the relevant teams to inform the development of strategies, programs and activities, and to gain an insight into residents' views and opinions.

Feedback provided online is used in conjunction with other face-to-face activities to help the Project managers and the Board of Directors 'hear' the community's voice.

When each public consultation phase closes, all contributions are compiled into a report, which will be presented to Board when considering the particular matter.

All feedback provided during public consultation will be considered; however, this does not mean that every suggestion will affect the project or be adopted as proposed.

Note: All comments you make through this website will become public records for anyone to read.

Question: Is my privacy protected?

Yes! Your privacy is absolutely protected and the District will only use your email to send you updates and to invite you to participate in consultations.

Your email address will not be distributed to any third party or used for any other purpose. For more information, see the platform Privacy Policy.

Who can I contact about The Bear Valley Exchange?

This site is coordinated by the Bear Valley CSD Communication Specialist and General Manager.

If you have any questions about content, or council's consultation and engagement process, please email mclark@bvcsd.org or bmalinen@bvcsd.org.

If you have a question regarding a specific project currently open for consultation, please review the Q&A section to see if it has already been asked and answered. If not, please submit your question using the Q&A tool. This tool allows us to build a living FAQ for other residents who may have the same question. 

Question: How are discussion forums moderated?

All public comments within discussion forums, guest books and questions and answers are moderated 24 hours a day seven days a week, for inappropriate language, comments that disrespect other participants and for comments that are off topic. 

All moderation is carried out by Bang the Table and all moderation is independent to the Bear Valley CSD. The moderators do not edit or alter any comments and will only remove comments deemed to be significantly off topic, offensive or malicious, in which case they are removed from the site immediately and the person who posted the comment is advised by email. See the moderation policy for more details.