For any resident who has attended a City of Powell River committee of the whole meeting, it is an ordeal. Some public meetings can go on for hours, especially with committee of the whole, where meetings are meant to provide councillors with a forum to gather information and ask questions to make educated decisions.
Delegations of residents and organizations are given the opportunity to address council on subjects relating to the community, reports and recommendations from staff, and questions from the media and the public as long as they are on the meeting agenda.
But questions come at the end of the proceedings.
“I don't think it's appropriate and it's a tactic on the part of mayor and council to thin out the audience,” said Powell River resident Stephen Miller. “You might start off with 40 or 50 people and then end up with four people at question period because you can't expect people working or seniors to stay there for four hours waiting to ask their question.”
At some committee meetings, agendas are so packed with items that Powell River residents have had to wait more than five hours to ask a question. That has always been the process and no one has questioned it, until now.
“I agree these aren’t the most exciting proceedings in the world to have to sit through,” said councillor Maggie Hathaway, who also chairs committee of the whole meetings. “Maybe we could change our protocol so questions come right after delegations.”
Recently, Miller and a group of Townsite ratepayers wanted to ask questions of council on matters regarding the new Townsite wastewater treatment plant that were not included in the agenda.
“I was told unless it's part of the agenda, we could not ask the questions,” said Miller.
But Miller found a section in the city’s Council Procedure Bylaw which states that prior to adjournment of a council or committee meeting, the chair may accept questions from the media and public pertaining to any agenda item. Nowhere does it state that questions have to wait until the end of a meeting, but it is at the discretion of the chair.
At the committee meeting on July 17, Miller asked that the agenda and protocols be changed to allow for questions during community delegations; Hathaway allowed it.
“I don’t mind; I just get concerned about people down the road wanting to do the same thing,” said mayor Dave Formosa. “If it becomes a problem where people take advantage of the fact that we offered such a leniency today and we keep having to deal with that, then at that time we can re-discuss it.
