In the face of online criticism, Grand Forks city council has agreed to move its meeting times to evenings, but only after the next council is sworn in.
Councillor Rod Zielinski introduced a motion this week to switch the last two meetings of the year, on Nov. 23 and Dec. 14, to evening start times, which council later set as 6 p.m.
Zielinski said while the move will not affect the current council, he hoped that it might encourage working people who might be reluctant to run for office because they can’t make it to meetings during the day.
“It seems like there’s a thought that meeting times might hinder some people’s ability to voice their freedom of speech and run for this table,” he said.
However, councillor Deborah Lafleur, who voted against the idea, said she is not sure that a different start time will make much difference and felt it should be up to the next council to decide when they want to meet.
“I have posted every agenda of our meetings,” she said. “Only twice have I been asked questions about the agenda. I fear it’s voter apathy. I believe this council has been very available to people. We’re out in the community.”
Councillor David Mark said he had no objection to meeting in the evening, but did not think meeting times were a key obstacle to public engagement with local government.
“I’ve seen people say that they didn’t attend budget meetings because the budget isn’t interesting. [Yet] nothing happens without the budget. That’s where all your gripes and complaints go to die is with the money. So it’s very, very important.
“I’d love it if people prove me wrong and we have a bunch of people attend and are very interested in sharing their concerns or running for office.”
Mark said when he was first elected, he was interested in moving meetings to evenings, but he has found the current council seems to function better during the day.
Councillor Christine Thompson said she suspected evening meetings would encourage younger people to run for office, although she prefers morning meetings herself.
Grand Forks council presently meets twice a month on Mondays starting at 10 a.m.
While many councils meet in the evening, daytime meetings are not uncommon in local government. Regional District of Kootenay Boundary meetings begin at 1 p.m. Castlegar holds committee of the whole meetings at 3 p.m. and reconvenes at 7 p.m. for regular council. Trail’s committee of the whole begins at 2 or 3 p.m. and regular council is at 6 p.m.
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