White Rock council watchers with questions for the politicians will have to stick out the meetings and keep their question to matters discussed the same night, if proposed changes to the city’s Council and Committee Procedure Bylaw are adopted.
A shift to holding question period after council meetings have ended instead of at the start was recommended in a report presented Monday by city clerk Tracey Arthur.
“Citizens have many avenues to contact council on matters,” Arthur writes.
The change was among several amendments proposed with an aim to “help streamline” the meetings, with some of the suggestions called “housekeeping” measures.
The rationale provided for moving question period is to allow allow citizens to ask questions pertaining to the preceding meeting, Arthur explained.
If the shift had been in place this week, citizens would not have been able to ask questions until after 9:30 p.m. Monday.
Council voted unanimously (Coun. Bill Lawrence was absent) to give the proposed changes first, second and third reading.
No council member raised concerns about the change. A vote on giving the amended bylaw final reading is expected to take place Jan. 28.
