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The City of Dryden is looking to change how council meetings are held.
During Monday’s meeting the City Clerk Alyson Euler provided a staff report that proposes a revision to the city’s procedural bylaw, which would see the removal of Committee of the Whole meeting, where the council body hears reports but is unable to make a final vote on the matter until the council meeting later that month.
Currently two meetings are held each month, with a Committee of the Whole meeting on the second Monday of the month and a Council meeting on the fourth Monday.
Instead the proposal would see two council meetings per month, the report states this would speed up the process of business for the corporation, allowing it to adopt by-laws and resolutions at every meeting.
Councillor Kiewning expressed concern over the change and asked for the proposal to be tabled until a later date.
“I actually like having more time to consider, everything that we get to consider. I feel, already, really rushed when it comes to some of the decisions we have to make, and I think right now that would make it worse for me personally.”
Despite her hesitation she also believes this proposal is something council needs to look into.
Martin MacKinnon, who has been a staple of council for the past 13 years, expressed his understanding for the newer members of council getting acclimated to how the governing body and the corporation operates but also saw the the need to speed up the process.
“The way the world now is business happens fast, and you have to be prepared to handle the way of the world, if we’re in a land deal that we need to decide now, we need to decide it right now.”
He notes while there is a lot of reading associated with being a member of council and members need to make it work.
Councillor Ritch Noel initially echoed Keiwning’s thoughts but after several other members, both seasoned veterans and first term Councillors like himself and Kiewning, he changed his vote.
“I guess its the fear of being gun shy, I don’t want to be wrong, or make the wrong decision. When I ran, I asked for the experience of Councillors Price and MacKinnon and some of their guidance, and in listening to them tonight I have to say I’m now in favour of this because that is what we should do.”
If adopted Dryden would join Ear Falls and Sioux Lookout as the only municipalities in the Northwest who operate under this model.
A draft proposal of the new by law is expected to be delivered to council in May.
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