City of Powell River Council will shift its committee of the whole meetings from Thursdays to Tuesdays on a two-month trial basis starting next month.
Currently, council holds its committee of the whole meeting at 1 pm on the first Thursday of the month and at 9 am on the third Thursday of the month. On both of those days, city council meets at 7 pm.
At the Thursday, March 19, council meeting, Marie Claxton, city clerk, said it was suggested that the move be tried for April and May. She said the city’s procedure bylaw sets out when meetings are held and to make a permanent change, the bylaw would need to be amended.
“What is being suggested is that you try this for April and May and see how it fits in with council’s schedule,” Claxton said. “We can certainly see how it fits in with the public. Maybe we’ll see more of the public at committee of the whole meetings.
“At the end of May, if you decide you want to make it permanent, we’ll bring the appropriate bylaw to you.”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said meeting dates and times are always an ongoing issue especially when new people are elected to council.
“We seem to have a really nice compromise,” she said of the initiative to move the committee of the whole meeting date. “It works really well for me.”
Mayor Dave Formosa thanked Councillor Karen Skadsheim for the initiative and open-mindedness to make the suggestion.
Skadsheim said if the Tuesday committee of the whole meeting is something council wishes to adopt, the bylaw could come to the first council meeting in June.
Claxton said any changes to the procedure bylaw require public notice, so council would give a couple of readings on the proposed bylaw, notice would be posted in the newspaper and then council would come back to finalize the process.
She said all councillors have copies of the procedures bylaw so it might be an appropriate time to review it and if other changes are to be made, it may as well be done in one shot.
Council unanimously approved that the April and May committee of the whole meetings be rescheduled to the first and third Tuesday of the month at 3:30 pm.
