Couns. Shila Sharps (pictured), Andy McGrogan and Cassi Hider have each used notices of motions at the council table as a way to move lingering, controversial or "stalled" issues on to the council agenda.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
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Frustration among several city councillors with city hall processes have spilled out in a series of “notices of motion” in hopes of getting council to endorse direct orders to administrators to act more quickly on controversial issues.
Three such notices were given at Monday night’s meeting, meaning specific requests for information, or program and policy development will be debated later this month.
Those centre on the zoning history of the current Mustard Seed’s overnight shelter, a potential system to outline expense spending of senior administrators and another to develop a non-profit operating grant program.
Such a program would restart the issue of a $250,000 annual grant request from HALO air rescue that has been in limbo after it was left out of the new city budget in December, according to Coun. Cassi Hider.
Another, from Coun. Andy McGrogan, asks that council vote on making public the expenses of city manager and managing directors – something called for often by Mayor Linnsie Clark with no effect.
“To be quite frank, I’ve put forward a number of notices of motion and I find it the best way to get action,” said McGrogan, who last fall also asked council to approve creating a general listing of wage ranges paid to non-union positions, mostly managers, alongside union contracts that outline most wages of civic employees.
“All of council weighs in … It brings discussion out into the open, topical issues, where they should be,” he said.
“We talk about transparency and accountability, well, let’s just rip the scab off on some of these issues. I don’t think it should be a big deal.”
On expenses, “There have been freedom of information requests, there have been internal requests around expenses.”
In typical practice, a mayor doesn’t make notices of motion as they have some level of control over the agenda, but Clark had put inquiries about salaries and expenses as a “request for information,” but garnered little discussion each time.
She left after Monday’s meeting before reporters could seek comment.
A “notice of motion” has been a seldom used legislative tool available to all councillors to move legislation, like a private member’s bill. It must be seconded and adopted when it arrives for debate at the following meeting, or that night by majority consent.
It’s been used six times in five meetings in 2025, and several times in late 2024.
Sharps has also used the manoeuvre several times in recent months, including a push for council to re-evaluate Clark’s restricted access to employee areas of city hall.
“I think the (expense) motion will start something deeper, that we just need to have more transparency,” said Sharps following the meeting. “We’ve tried for so long to do this gently and nicely, and I can’t speak for (McGrogan), but I think he’s saying, ‘Let’s do this, OK?'”
One notice registered last month by Sharps was debated at length on Monday, and council eventually asked the utility department to provide detailed analysis on how the line (and different charges) between small- and medium-use commercial power customers is determined.
That passed, but Sharps objected when she was told an overview of adjusted rates could take four weeks, then another four weeks to return to council.
“I think we can pivot just a little bit faster,” said Sharps, stating the issue was first raised in July, and a third-party analysis went to committee last month.
For her part, city manager Ann Mitchell told council that since the issue has already gone through several rounds of administrative comment, it could be sent directly to council in order to hasten the timeline, though administrator says a cumulative bylaw to adjust all rate classes could take another two months.
Councillors agreed with an early May return date on the report.
“Moving the dial has a cumulative effect (of changing the bills) for every customer,” argued Coun. Darren Hirsch. “If it takes two months for us to get good data, then I’m OK with that.”
The third notice, from Coun. Hider, asks that staff formalize non-profit operating grants after a similar capital request formula was adopted this winter.
“(HALO’s request) is at a stall right now, and they will re-apply,” Hider told reporters on Monday, adding that she and others on council support HALO operations but the issue is stalled after it was left off the city budget.
Another notice on Monday involves staff producing an overview of land use and development decisions at the Mustard Seed’s overnight shelter on Eighth St. S.E.
Its sponsor, McGrogan again, says residents are asking for the information and since he heads the municipal planning commission, he brought it to council’s attention.
In February, McGrogan also asked in a notice of motion that administrators take another look at financing options and policy regarding electrical transformer upgrades that can cost individual customers $10,000 or more.
