Councillors approved a new procedure bylaw which includes 12 changes during its second last meeting as a council Monday evening. Current council will meet one more time of Friday morning before the next council will sit following the election.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
City councillors voted unanimously to adopt an updated “Procedure Bylaw” during an open meeting Monday evening that includes 12 amendments which, among other changes, would give them, not the mayor, ability to make committee appointments by vote.
New procedures were also outlined as part of an overall remake, including moving public council meetings to 4 p.m., from 6:30 p.m.
Some changes are required because of updates in the Alberta Municipal Government Act, which includes rules to prevent overarching for city operations and mandates.
For example, provincial changes remove the requirement that a mayor be a member of all standing committees as a standard “ex-officio” status.
Several changes are meant to simplify operating rules, such as streamlining records keeping, but others allude to growing frustration on council that meetings and council’s work is becoming bogged down.
“There are three changes to this bylaw,” said Tarolyn Aaserud, acting city manager. “Two were notices of motion and one was to ensure the process for a notice of motion was clear and more concise.”
Among changes, councillors directed the staff to write language to:
– Put a maximum time limit on closed in-camera meetings;
– Require a council vote when the mayor calls a recess;
– Require the mayor to solicit the opinion of council when cancelling a meeting or calling a special meeting of council.
Some changes refer to how council’s main committees interact with council.
If approved, all reports received by any standing committee would be forwarded in their entirety to all councillors, not just executive summaries.
In August, council asked staffers to draft the additional amendments for council’s consideration.
In September council directed city administration to make the changes to the bylaw so it could be voted on Monday.
Back in February, council directed then city manager Ann Mitchell to present amendments to the “Procedure Bylaw” to provide clarity in areas such as Notice of Motion, written inquires and any other areas which required additional amendments.
Some changes include regular council meeting to begin at 4 p.m. as opposed to 6:30 p.m. and the chair of council meetings will call for a 30-minute dinner recess at approximately 5:45 p.m.
No motions will now be made when Committee of the Whole is in Closed Meeting, and the only matters to be considered in a Closed Meeting must pertain to one of the exceptions to disclosure in the MGA.
The new bylaw also includes changes to agendas and agenda items, timelines and submissions for adding an item to the agenda.
“Councillors are encouraged to submit a written Notice of Motion to the City Clerk … no later than one week before the meeting dates,” reads the notice of motion.
The next council will be able to make changes to this bylaw should members see a need.
“I would just like to say that the next incoming council has the ability to make the changes based on their schedules,” said Coun. Alison Van Dyke. “None of this is fixed in stone, it can all be brought back.”
The previous bylaw was passed in the early 1980s, and despite changes over the years, hasn’t been fully updated for more than four decades.
Mayor Linnsie Clark, Coun. Cassi Hider and Coun. Romona Robins joined the meeting virtually Monday night.
Additional meeting
Current councillors will meet for one more time Friday morning after a motion to hold an additional general meeting was passed.
Council will meet for the final time at 7 a.m. Oct. 10 after the motion was brought up by Coun. Andy McGrogan.
