Council Considering Changes Said To Improve Citizen Participation

If you have ever presented to Council ad had to wait for hours in order to give your comments and add your two rubles and 15 kopecks to the debate you soon may not have to wait through hours of debate and discussion to be heard.

At the June 14th Executive Committee meeting the committee listened to a proposal which will include a major overhaul of the structure of the Procedural Bylaw which will allow residents and delegations to present at the beginning of Council meetings and not potentially wait hours to have their voices heard on issues being discussed.

Speaking to the issue city manager Jim Puffalt said the proposed changes - which included having residents and other delegations to speak at the beginning of a Council meeting - was not only a way to “streamline Council meetings but to certainly be more friendly and get delegations into Council on more of a timely fashion. In more of an orderly type of business.”

One of the major changes proposed to the Procedural Bylaw would be to have all delegations, including those speaking out on Bylaw matters, quasi-judicial and public information matters at the start of the Council meeting to be followed with the meeting of the Committee of the While where matters addressed by delegations might be more readily discussed and debated. The change would allow Council to debate matters being already made aware of public opinion and input into the matter.

“We are trying to streamline some of the processes as well as accommodate to get members of the public in the agenda at a specified time or earlier in the agenda as ha not (been the case) in the past,” City clerk/solicitor Myron Gulka-Teichko told Executive Committee.

At the present time Council allows for the public to either come forward as delegations on an issue when it arises in the agenda, to address Council on an issue they request something to be done, as part of a Bylaw vote, as part of a review of decisions made to zoning and bylaw enforcement as well as a public forum to give information to Council with no response at the end of the meeting.

The proposed changes would have all of these public presenters be moved to a specified time and portion of the front of the Council meeting.

“We did not feel this worked very well plus these people had to wait until the end of the agenda. I could be hours until they had the opportunity to have their say,” Gulka-Teichko said."

“This is a way to segregate public comment to the beginning of the agenda so people can make their statements and their concerns they wish to say and see what happens….and not requiring people to sit through three hours of debate,” he said.

Councillor Dawn Luhning said she agreed with the initiative.

“We have delegations and meetings that get lengthy for hours and there are people waiting to speak,” Councillor Luhining, said “I simply wanted to try and come up with an idea of bringing these delegations forward and I think Mr Gulka-Teichko has in his part ensured for that,” she said.

This is the first that the issue proposed major changes has been made public but according to the report were discussed at least twice in-camera (if not on more occasions at planning sessions last Fall not open to the general public.

Councillor Crystal Froese said she agreed with the structural changes of having all public presenters at the beginning of the meeting before any potential discussions.

“It makes much better sense,” Councillor Froese stated.

“I am fine with the changes in the order of the agenda,” Councillor Heather Eby said, adding “I was there at the time the public forum was brought in and I know why it was brought in. And at the time it may have alleviated an issue. But it makes it awkward when we can’t speak.”

When the initial public information session was introduced the city manager of the day Matt Noble warned in Executive Committee the committee needed to be careful on how they drafted the public engagement portions of the Procedural Bylaw or else all sorts of “fringe groups” would take advantage of it flooding Council with presentations.

Former Councillor Brian Swanson at that time opposed the move to limit or restrict any public presenters as it was “just part of the job” of being on Council.

At the time the whispers in that discussion mentioned former Moose Jaw resident David Trask who was a regular presenter with his ideas for the City at Council meetings. Mr Trask is no longer a Moose Jaw resident but still regularly presents his ideas to committees of Regina City Council.

Councillor Jamey Logan agreed with the intent of the changes to the Procedural Bylaw.

“I am really happy to better organize (Council meetings) and to get citizens at the front makes perfect sense. Just from the few meetings I have attended there has been people wait three and a half hours to speak that quite honestly is unacceptable,” Councillor Logan said.

“It will be better for everyone, especially citizens to get their point across.”

Mayor Fraser Tolmie said he agreed to the change to put public presenters to the start of the Council meeting.

“It gives Council some opportunity on some items that might be brought up that are important and that can be new information to us that might not be in a report (to Council) when we listen to members of the public,” Mayor Tolmie said.

Councillor Doug Blanc agreed to moving the public to the start and center of Council meetings.

“I agree the public needs to come first that is who we need to represent,” Councillor Blanc said.

At the online press scrum the Tuesday following Executive Committee’e meeting Puffalt said he did not find anything ironic about Council discussing in-camera (behind closed doors) how Council would interact with the public.

“Sometimes Council has thoughts they need to speak to themselves,” Puffalt said to a series of questions from MJ Independent.

At the present time it is unknown how much public feedback, if any, has been provided to the City on the proposed changes to the structure of Council meetings.

In the meantime Executive Committee voted 7 - 0 in favour of having Administration draw up proposed changes to the Procedural Bylaw which includes changes to public participation in Council meetings. It is unknown when a report and proposed bylaw will return for further consideration.

To make any changes to the Procedural Bylaw two-thirds of Council must vote in favour of the changes and not a simple majority of Council.