Some Richmond council members think their agenda system, which has evolved over time, is working fine, but the majority decided to ask staff to send information packages a day earlier to give more time to peruse them.
Council members voted at a committee meeting on Monday to ask city staff to send their packages on Thursday rather than Friday evening after looking at a variety of options, including getting the packages, which can be hundreds of pages in length, 10 days in advance.
Coun. Bill McNulty pointed out that the system Richmond has been using has worked for the 25 years he’s been on council and he didn’t support any change.
“This council job is a full-time job, when you signed up to run, you knew it was a full-time job,” he said. He said he didn’t support any change, and when people ran for office, they knew “that was the price you paid.”
“People say it gives us more time to read,” he added. “Sorry, I don’t buy that. What game are you really trying to play with the public?” Also, the order that meetings are held follows proper procedure and is “efficient” for the community, he added.
Coun. Kelly Greene argued for having the packages come to council earlier, saying she is motivated by “doing my due diligence.”
“Sometimes our packages are 800 pages and, you know, that’s a lot to make sure you’re meticulously going over and knowing exactly what every word in the package is,” she said. She added that when council is asking questions of staff all weekend by email when they should be resting, it’s “really unfair” on them.
Coun. Michael Wolfe said, before the last council meeting, he visited four sites that were on the council agenda, but when the package comes on Friday night, he doesn’t have much time to do that.
“For me, the number one benefit of having more time is to actually go visit the sites,” he said.
Coun. Carol Day said the status quo of when agenda packages are delivered is not acceptable.
“Those of you who have been here for a long time are used to the way things are and you’re reluctant to change,” she said. “I get that, change is hard for everyone.” She said posting the packages late on Friday is hard for people who might have concerns about items – it doesn’t give them much time to prepare.
Day suggested trying option 4, getting agenda packages 10 days in advance, for a year.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie said he gets Metro Vancouver and TransLink packages about a week ahead, but he finds that there are so many revisions to documents by the time the meeting rolls around that it causes confusion.
“I think the worst of these options would be to have it 10 days ahead,” Brodie said. He also pointed out that when council receives a big agenda, 600 to 800 pages in length, council has already seen many of the documents before.
“I agree with Bill, it’s what we signed up to do,” Brodie said. “If you don’t want to be in public service, don’t be, that that’s what was signed up for.”
Day responded to the mayor’s comment that she was “offended” and was just trying to do her job.
Council voted to ask staff to send out agenda packages for both council and committee meetings on Thursdays as opposed to Friday as they are currently distributed.
