City of Powell River Council will consider directing staff to draft new versions of the city’s governance and liaison policies.
At the December 5 committee of the whole meeting, deputy corporate officer Jessica Lefort introduced a governance policy and liaison policy which will change the way city council does business.
Lefort said in the policies was an initiative to remove the councillors’ portfolio system and to move the community liaison component from the governance policy to a separate policy.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said a section was highlighted on how councillors bring forward community engagement reports to committee of the whole meetings, indicating they should be submitted in writing to the corporate officer a week prior to the meeting.
“Normally we bring them with us and speak to them,” said Elliott. “This looks like it’s all to be done in writing a week ahead of time and I’m curious about whether that means we are not supposed to report on things we did not write about ahead of time,” said Elliott. “I’m not sure I’m entirely in favour of that wording.”
Lefort said the idea was to manage efficiency during meetings, and also to have engagement reports written and attached to an agenda, and have the easy reference for the public.
Councillor Earl Almeida said his concern was that events that could be reported on shortly before the committee meeting could be left out and wouldn’t be included in the report.
Councillor Trina Isakson said she likes the idea of written community engagement reports. She said the reports at the December 5 meeting took about half an hour to complete and she’s not clear why councillors do them because they often don’t result in motions. She said there is value in the community understanding what the councillors are involved in but because the intent of the engagement reports hasn’t been outlined, it would be nice to have them in writing.
Mayor Ron Woznow was also supportive of having the written reports.
Councillor and committee chair George Doubt said he was puzzled by the recommendation for written reports. He said with his engagement reports, he tries to bring to the attention of council items that he may have discovered in the community. He said he was not in favour of written reports.
Councillors voted that council direct staff to draft new versions of the governance and liaison policies as included in governance policy and liaison policy report dated December 5, with removal of the requirement to submit community engagement reports in writing a week prior to the committee of the whole agenda from the governance policy, and with the two major changes to council’s governance policy by: removal of the portfolio system entirely, maintaining the chief administrative officer as council’s one employee model; and moving the community liaison component to a separate policy.
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