St. Joseph’s city staff and elected officials take their share of heat, but the entire group has done something right for a number of years that is worthy of recognition.

“City Talk,” a frequently scheduled open forum with citizens, dates to the tenure of former Mayor David Jones and has continued under Mayor Ken Shearin and the current City Council.

The next gathering is Thursday at Brookdale Presbyterian Church, 203 S. 31st St. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with free light refreshments and the opportunity for informal visiting with the mayor, District II councilwoman Joyce Starr and other council members.

The structured meeting begins at 7 p.m. and is designed to provide up to 90 minutes for residents to raise questions and make comments. Council members and staff pledge to respond to as many specific questions as possible in the allotted time.

Brochures with educational information about selected city services also are available at these sessions.

When you consider the number of evening meetings that council members and staff are asked to attend each year, it’s impressive that they have remained committed to a regular series of meetings that is not required — but highly advisable.

And it’s not just the time commitment that should be acknowledged. In a time when so many officials and bureaucrats across the country try to keep the electorate at arm’s length, these meetings are up-close-and-personal reminders that real people are affected by city policies and decisions.

Thursday night, for example, the city representatives will share results of recent surveys done to determine public sentiment about France Park and how it could be best administered.

While this issue is not the most contentious of recent years, a number of residents have voiced strong opinions about the park. And now they have one more time to share their thoughts with the people elected to make these decisions.