City council has been asked to provide more time for public input on matters it is considering.
In an email reviewed at the April 29 council meeting, Powell River resident Diana Collicutt expressed concern that the new city council meeting format provides less time for the public to view and provide comment before decisions are made.
“Public consultation is really diminished with this new schedule,” stated Collicutt. “According to the previous schedule, reports went to the committee of the whole, and two weeks later, went to council for the decision. The public had time to respond in writing, or prepare and present as a delegation.”
Collicutt said she was requesting that more time be given for public consultation on agenda items, specifically in regard to spending of city funds during this time of economic challenges.
“Agenda items that are not emergencies should follow the regular schedule and be given more time,” stated Collicutt. “Only emergency items that relate to health, safety and emergency spending for core services need to be brought forward weekly.”
Mayor Dave Formosa said the correspondence was talking about the fact that city council has weekly meetings because of COVID-19.
“These weekly meetings give us the opportunity to listen to reports, or an emergency situation, and make a decision at that meeting,” said Formosa. “This letter is basically cautioning council as to making sure enough time is provided to the public to be informed.”
Formosa said the city’s corporate officer had advised council at its meetings when it came upon issues that did not need to be rushed through, and he has reminded councillors that the item could be sent to the next meeting.
“Subsequently, that’s what we have been doing,” said Formosa. “Where possible we have been moving items to the next meeting or two meetings out.”
Chief administrative officer Russell Brewer said looking at that night’s agenda, there are items coming before council where the recommendation is to refer them to the next council meeting. He said generally, the city is trying to publish council agendas on the Friday before the meeting.
He added that at this particular meeting, there was an item involving Powell River Community Forest funding that would be introduced at the meeting, and a decision would be made at the meeting, but it’s an item that was considered urgent.
“For the most part, items will be referred to the following council meeting,” said Brewer.
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said council does its best to make sure the public has an opportunity for input. She added that these are unusual times where items come up and need to be addressed immediately.
“I think we are on the right track,” she added.
Formosa said council’s current process of having weekly meetings, and having cancelled committee of the whole and finance committee meetings, is only temporary.
“Once we are through COVID-19, we are going to go back to our regular meetings,” said Formosa.
Councillor George Doubt said council has gone to this new format because it gives council the opportunity, if need be, to pass emergency items quickly, and to get business done when urgent things need to be done.
He said other items being brought up at that night’s council meeting, such as the financial plan and tax changes, would be put forward to future meetings for adoption.
“There have been months and months of discussion behind that and before we finalize that there will be two more meetings,” said Doubt. “Council is making every effort to give people as much notice as we can.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she thought council was making the effort to create balance between getting matters that were urgent through council during this pandemic time and allowing time for matters that were not urgent. She said council could consider laying items over two weeks when it is not an urgent matter.
Councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said she concurs with Elliott and thinks there are items that could be set over an extra week. She said she thinks that could be left with staff.
