City council is trying out a new way of running their meetings.
On Monday, the assembled council members adopted a resolution to allow items without a formal motion being made by the councilor introducing the item. The change had previously been used in the council meeting on Nov.14, which saw directors of the municipal administration introduce agenda reports, instead of councillors.
The resolution will allow council to use this new method up until a scheduled rewrite of the procedure bylaw, set to occur in the spring. The procedure bylaw lays the foundation for the way council handles their meetings, and it’s last major adjustment took place in 2011.
Following Monday’s meeting, veteran council member Ken Baker voiced support for the changed system.
“It’s not a bad thing,” said Baker.
“You put something on the floor, in terms of a motion, you bring something to the floor and you discuss the pros and cons and what have you, and then you decide whether you like it or you don’t like it.”
Baker also said he wanted to discuss the possibility of the committee system returning to the municipal government with the new mayor and council.
“There are some things in the procedure bylaw that I’m not going to talk about right now, but I’d like to discuss with the new council, and certainly with our new mayor and administration, that I think would help the knowledge within council, and I think that it all comes as a package, not piecemeal, and that’s where I’d like to see it go,” said Baker.
“For me, committee system, you know I’ve talked about it, and I believe in it, and I think it’s a very good tool. Council will decide down the road, in consultation with administration, and make a decision. Whatever it’s going to be, it’ll be, but I’m a believer in the committee system.”