I enjoy politics and have been known to get excited about an election campaign, some of the policy stuff and anytime there is a sizzler of an exchange between political foes.
But I鈥檓 quite confident I would never say this:
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited, actually鈥攜es, I know it鈥檚 crazy to get excited about parliamentary procedure鈥︹��
NPA Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said that.
I鈥檒l finish off her quote near the end of this piece, but first some insight into what excites her about parliamentary procedure.
Council unanimously approved Wednesday a series of recommendations that aim to overhaul the public engagement side of things at city hall.
At first reading, it may seem like some inside baseball stuff, which is partly true.
But the biggest move in what is being called a trial or pilot project is that it aims to positively affect you and me in terms of efficiency: speakers will now have a more definite time when they can take their turn at the microphone.
At least that鈥檚 the goal of the two-month experiment, which begins next month. And that鈥檚 a big deal because right now it鈥檚 a gong show, said the city hall scribe, speaking from experience.
The current system has council meet on a Tuesday. This is called 鈥渞egular council.鈥� And if there is a report or a motion brought forward where a citizen has contacted city hall to register to speak to said report or motion, that item is then bumped to Wednesday鈥檚 鈥渟tanding committee on city finance and services.鈥�
Most speakers take this in stride. But when they show up on a Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. to speak, council has other reports and business on that committee agenda to work through before getting to what they call 鈥渦nfinished business鈥� from the previous day.
And if one or two of those reports eats up the morning, and council then breaks at lunch and meets in-camera until 3 p.m., those speakers who showed up at 9:30 a.m. would need to return at 3 p.m. But even then, council may not be finished with the items of the committee agenda.
Throw in a dinner break and a few recesses here and there and, well鈥ong show.
Fun fact: Since the new council's first meeting in the fall, an average of 32 speakers registered to speak at the Wednesday committee meeting.
I鈥檝e seen speakers wait all day and finally get a turn at the mic in the late evening.听 I鈥檝e also seen speakers give up and leave, leading some critics to say this is exactly what council intended, particularly during a controversial issue.
Others find out late in the day that council has decided to bump the report or motion to another week.
I鈥檝e come up with a term for this: democracy by exhaustion.
Which also leads to journalism by exhaustion.
In today鈥檚 24/7 world of feeding the digital beast with stories, most reporters don鈥檛 have time to stick around for two days and nights鈥攅ither at city hall or watching via livestream鈥攁nd chase one story.
Public hearings are a different story and, depending on the issue, can go on for several nights. That鈥檚 expected and not what we鈥檙e discussing here.
So what can we expect under what city staff is calling a 鈥渃ouncil meeting procedures pilot project?鈥�
Here are the key changes you need to know:
- Citizens wanting to speak to a report or motion on a Tuesday will now get to speak on the same Tuesday, as this quote from a city staff report outlines:
鈥淭he recommended pilot to hear speakers at regular council is intended to provide the public with greater certainty of when they will be heard, as they will be heard on the day for which the agenda item they wish to speak to is listed [provided the council meeting lasts one day].鈥�
Kirby-Yung also successfully added an amendment that will have any speakers bumped from Tuesday to be heard between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. the following day.
- The speaking time for citizens will be reduced from five minutes to three minutes.
That鈥檚 a bit of good news/bad news.
The good news is that it will prevent the usual inarticulate suspects from droning on about an issue, often times unrelated to the subject. The bad news is some of the more articulate, interesting speakers will be cut short.
- Council questions to speakers will also be reduced from five minutes to three minutes.
Apparently, a survey was done of 866 citizens between Dec. 14, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2018 with 鈥渕any respondents in favour of limiting the type and number of questions asked by members of council.鈥�
- And, finally, city staff will work on releasing public agendas earlier.
Currently, they go up on the city鈥檚 website Wednesday and Thursday for the following Tuesday and Wednesday meetings. Staff has been advised by council and the public that this schedule does not provide ample time to review the reports on the agenda, the report said.
Now to finish off Kirby-Yung鈥檚 quote I began at the top of this piece...鈥渂ut it will actually give us a chance to make our lives better so we can spend less time on procedure and more time on the actual content of what it is we鈥檙e talking about.鈥�
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr had this to say: 鈥淥ur intent of this council is to really provide more certainty and clarity to members of the public who sign up to speak鈥nd let鈥檚 hope this trial is one that works.鈥�
The trial will run in April and May when council reconvenes after spring break.
Reporter鈥檚 two cents: It would also be helpful to see motions and changes to them captured in the livestream. Being able to view the livestream immediately after a council meeting finishes鈥攍ike the 麻豆传媒映画Police Board does鈥攚ould also be great for those who can鈥檛 tune in live and may be at an ice rink, soccer field or in the grips of a man cold.
@Howellings
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