Wed Apr 15th, 2020 Oshawa Council will have its 1st electronic virtual Council meeting.
It is a special meeting to obtain Council direction regarding amending the Council Procedural By-law to provide for electronic participation during declared emergencies. Next, on Mon April 27, will be the regular monthly Council meeting
The software the City will be using is Cisco Webex Meetings ($200/mth + $700 for headsets).
The City Staff Report CNCL-20-14 states:
1/ the City will continue to investigate other electronic meeting software and "may determine a better or more cost-effective option, depending on the length of the emergency and/or future needs or improvements to technology";
2/ virtual electronic Council meetings will be recorded and web-streamed;
3/ all votes at the virtual electronic Council meetings will be recorded votes;
4/ due to the current limit of 5 people to a public gathering, members of the public will not be permitted to attend, but may submit written correspondence regarding an item on the agenda to the City Clerk up to 2 hours prior to the meeting for Council’s consideration. The Clerk will e-mail the correspondence to all members of Council.
5/ City Staff are recommending business be conducted as usual during the pandemic but that no Standing Committee meetings be held since Council can choose to go into Committee of the Whole for those items requiring greater discussion.
Personally, I would like to leave the option of continuing the Standing Committee meeting schedule up to the Committee Chairs.
The Council and Committee rotation was changed at the start of this year from a 3 week to a 4 week rotation (by a 8-4 vote of Council). Relying at least on that schedule continues a degree of 'business as usual'.
Also, in addition to the Council Procedural By-law being amended for this emergency situation, it seems other amendments could be considered to follow from it, such as giving Council the opportunity to opt out of the summer recess and 2) provide for additional electronic participation by members and individuals making delegations with accessibility needs to reduce barriers to participation.
If there are no Standing Committee meetings why is the City, and for that matter the Region too, still paying the stipends...so few other municipalities pay any stipend to the their Committee Chairs.
And yes, there are times when the Standing Committee meetings can be seen to 'dead end' some issues. But on the other hand they do allow a way to raise issues easier than at Council.
The Staff Report surveyed some municipalities and a lot are doing like the Region and what Staff are proposing the City do, suspend the Committee meetings, but there are a few who are keeping business as usual :
Clarington "Regular business with the exception of those matters that are controversial and would have significant public participation."
Markham: "Based on agendas, dealing with regular business."
Scugog: "Based on agendas, dealing with regular business."
Uxbridge: "Have held two meetings as of March 31. Both Special Council Meetings so business was specific and limited. April 6 is the first Committee Meeting, but given the limited activity taking place right now, not a lot is anticipated for the agenda."
Benefits of Committee meetings, they are smaller and do not require a seconder for a motion or amendment. They each have areas of special interest, albeit there are matters that do overlap the committees.
Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings would work just as well, but unlike many other municipalities, and the Region of Durham, COW meetings are not standard at the City of Oshawa. Other than at Budget time, in my experience the past 15 months it is rare, only twice that Oshawa Council moved to go into COW after some asked. And there was at least one request to go into COW that failed. Imo it would be appropriate for Council to schedule regular COW meeting during COVID-19 if Council votes to suspend Standing Committee meetings.
The other item on Wednesday's Agenda is extending the delegation of authority to the Mayor and CAO. http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/City_Council/2020/04-15/AGENDA_2020-04-15_CNCL_Special.pdf
I question why it needs to be extended when we can have electronic meetings called anytime.
It is a special meeting to obtain Council direction regarding amending the Council Procedural By-law to provide for electronic participation during declared emergencies. Next, on Mon April 27, will be the regular monthly Council meeting
The software the City will be using is Cisco Webex Meetings ($200/mth + $700 for headsets).
The City Staff Report CNCL-20-14 states:
1/ the City will continue to investigate other electronic meeting software and "may determine a better or more cost-effective option, depending on the length of the emergency and/or future needs or improvements to technology";
2/ virtual electronic Council meetings will be recorded and web-streamed;
3/ all votes at the virtual electronic Council meetings will be recorded votes;
4/ due to the current limit of 5 people to a public gathering, members of the public will not be permitted to attend, but may submit written correspondence regarding an item on the agenda to the City Clerk up to 2 hours prior to the meeting for Council’s consideration. The Clerk will e-mail the correspondence to all members of Council.
5/ City Staff are recommending business be conducted as usual during the pandemic but that no Standing Committee meetings be held since Council can choose to go into Committee of the Whole for those items requiring greater discussion.
Personally, I would like to leave the option of continuing the Standing Committee meeting schedule up to the Committee Chairs.
The Council and Committee rotation was changed at the start of this year from a 3 week to a 4 week rotation (by a 8-4 vote of Council). Relying at least on that schedule continues a degree of 'business as usual'.
Also, in addition to the Council Procedural By-law being amended for this emergency situation, it seems other amendments could be considered to follow from it, such as giving Council the opportunity to opt out of the summer recess and 2) provide for additional electronic participation by members and individuals making delegations with accessibility needs to reduce barriers to participation.
If there are no Standing Committee meetings why is the City, and for that matter the Region too, still paying the stipends...so few other municipalities pay any stipend to the their Committee Chairs.
And yes, there are times when the Standing Committee meetings can be seen to 'dead end' some issues. But on the other hand they do allow a way to raise issues easier than at Council.
The Staff Report surveyed some municipalities and a lot are doing like the Region and what Staff are proposing the City do, suspend the Committee meetings, but there are a few who are keeping business as usual :
Clarington "Regular business with the exception of those matters that are controversial and would have significant public participation."
Markham: "Based on agendas, dealing with regular business."
Scugog: "Based on agendas, dealing with regular business."
Uxbridge: "Have held two meetings as of March 31. Both Special Council Meetings so business was specific and limited. April 6 is the first Committee Meeting, but given the limited activity taking place right now, not a lot is anticipated for the agenda."
Benefits of Committee meetings, they are smaller and do not require a seconder for a motion or amendment. They each have areas of special interest, albeit there are matters that do overlap the committees.
Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings would work just as well, but unlike many other municipalities, and the Region of Durham, COW meetings are not standard at the City of Oshawa. Other than at Budget time, in my experience the past 15 months it is rare, only twice that Oshawa Council moved to go into COW after some asked. And there was at least one request to go into COW that failed. Imo it would be appropriate for Council to schedule regular COW meeting during COVID-19 if Council votes to suspend Standing Committee meetings.
The other item on Wednesday's Agenda is extending the delegation of authority to the Mayor and CAO. http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/City_Council/2020/04-15/AGENDA_2020-04-15_CNCL_Special.pdf
I question why it needs to be extended when we can have electronic meetings called anytime.