The proposed changes to when city agendas will be released for public consumption drew the critical ire of podcast co-hosts Mack Male and Troy Pavlek on Episode 272 of Speaking Municipally, Taproot's municipal affairs podcast.
While council was on a summer break, city administration prepared amendments to a council bylaw to change when it publishes its meeting agendas (and any accompanying reports), and to alter requirements for using cameras when councillors attend meetings virtually.
Administration is proposing to publish agendas on the Thursday before a meeting (which is when it used to publish reports), rather than the more recent practice of posting agendas 10 days before each meeting. Coun. Sarah Hamilton, who worked with administration to prepare the motion to draft the bylaw amendments, said posting agendas 10 days in advance means they are often "incredibly incomplete," which could result in reduced transparency.
Male and Pavlek discussed questions that councillors asked administration when considering Hamilton's motion, back on July 4. Those questions included comments from Coun. Jo-Anne Wright, who Male said asked why it's necessary to change notification timelines rather than to ask the city to prepare its reports earlier or reschedule meetings.
"So if you (council) need to have reports that are fully prepared, you should talk to your employee, the city manager, and require them to do their job and make sure these things are completed in a fulsome way," Male said. "That was (Coun.) Wright's point."
Male noted that Coun. Erin Rutherford also pointed out in the same discussion that the 10-day timeline is already a time crunch for many who need to engage with a report and prepare feedback for council. He said the questions from councillors led to the city manager making a verbal commitment that reports will be available in advance for important stakeholders.
"So of course, this (verbal commitment) means it won't actually happen in practice in any meaningfully transparent or productive way," Male said. "What about the media? What about stakeholders? Which advisory committees? Which reports? None of those questions were answered."
Male said he and many others, including the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and BOMA Edmonton, feel the proposed change is a bad idea. "And I would say to any councillors listening, the answer is pretty clear," he added. "I think (Coun.) Wright hit the nail on the head. If a report's not ready, it either needs to be rescheduled, or we need to hold people accountable for not getting it ready when it was supposed to be."
Council will decide whether or not to adopt the bylaw amendments at a meeting on Aug. 20.
Hear more on the proposed changes to agenda timelines, the preservation of historical buildings like the former Royal Alberta Museum in Glenora, the International Fringe Theatre Festival, the new e-scooter zones, and a newsroom update from Taproot managing editor Tim Querengesser in the Aug. 16 episode.