Among the changes to Sundre council's procedures bylaw is additional time for members of the public to address officials.
The bylaw originally stated that any person or group who wanted to could during the public address section of council's agenda be granted two minutes to raise an issue or concern, said Mayor Terry Leslie.
“That was changed to five (minutes),” he said. “Two minutes was felt to be really quite a short period of time for people to come and address council.”
The bylaw also used to limit the total amount of time for the public address to 10 minutes, he said.
“That was changed to 15 (minutes) to encourage more community engagement.”
There were a number of other changes to the procedures bylaw, but those updates pertain more specifically to council.
Another change included adding the recently renewed Municipal Area Partnership to council's agenda as was requested of all member councils of the partnership, as well as setting a deadline for when councillors are to submit written reports so they can be added to the next agenda, said Leslie.
“From our discussions with staff — even though the Municipal Government Act is going to be under revision — at this point these changes would bring the document up to the point where it's common practice. It's the way things are being done,” he said.
“And then if we need to make some changes after the Municipal Government Act comes in, then we can do that.”
However, Coun. Cheri Funke felt the council procedures bylaw amendment was being rushed.
“I don't really agree with the fact that we're just glazing over it. There's a lot in it that needs to be redone,” she said.
“I don't feel that waiting until the MGA comes out is the right thing to do. I understand having the bylaw for the new council member is a good idea,” she said, referring to one of two candidates who ran in this week's byelection, “but I think we should start going over the entire thing a lot sooner.”
Coun. Paul Isaac told Funke he understood where she was coming from, but wanted to know whether she agreed with the current proposed changes that were on the table for approval.
“Yes, I do,” answered Funke.
The mayor expressed his support for the motion “because I think administration has looked at this and at this point in time made the changes that are necessary and appropriate. If we were to start looking at this, it would be into the fall next year.”
In the meantime, the amendments to the procedures bylaw take care of some issues rather than leaving them “hanging out,” he said.
Council proceeded to carry second and third readings with Coun. Funke opposed.
