The DeKalb City Council will be hitting the streets soon to solicit citizen input on neighborhood issues.

Mayor Greg Sparrow said open houses will give citizens the “opportunity to meet in a comfortable setting.”

“Some people are intimidated by the formal setting of the city council meetings,” he said.

The open houses will occur during the months of October, February, May and August. The first open house will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Chesebro School, 900 E. Garden Road.

Open houses will not follow an agenda, and all DeKalb residents are welcome to come and speak, said Sparrow.

City officials will hold spring and summer open houses while walking neighborhood streets.

Fourth Ward Alderman Mike Knowlton said the open houses are “a different way to talk with people.” When citizens are only allowed three minutes to speak at a formal council meeting, they do not feel comfortable, he said.

Sparrow said many small issues become increasingly important to the residents, and they come to the council meetings only when they are upset.

He said he remembered one example of a man who noticed a metal stake protruding from the ground near a sidewalk. It was a small problem but, had the resident not told him about it, someone may have been hurt.

Knowlton said open houses will allow city officials to personally see problems such as these and brainstorm solutions with citizens.

Sparrow said many citizens do not know they need to tell the local government about neighborhood issues. The city also relies on citizens to report disturbances or dangers, he said.

This is not the first time city officials have reached out in this way. Twelve years ago, the council met in residence halls, sorority houses and local schools.

For additional information, contact the city manager’s office at 815-748-2090.