Timmins council has voted to get with the times and publish at least some of their full council agenda packages on Fridays.
Despite nearly every other city in the province publishing theirs several days in advance, Timmins was in the practice of only releasing full agendas and reports between 3 and 4 p.m., the afternoon of the meeting.
Councillor Rick Dubeau put forth the motion to publish full agendas on Fridays, but Mayor Steve Black amended the motion to include only resolutions and third readings of bylaws being voted on.
"I think its In the spirit of transparency, per the Municipal Act, and our own policies and procedures, that we should be publishing the full agenda on Friday, so that the public and the media have an opportunity to view it. So that we can get as much feedback as possible, so that we can make an informed decision come Monday night."
Councillor Pat Bamford didn't agree. He understood the concern, but explained why he thinks it the policy was good. He also said there had been 'problems in the past'.
"Once the public finds out, and reads all the reports, and now maybe they're concerned about certain issues, or they're asking questions, there is an unfortunate opportunity for Councillors to be approached by the general public before Monday," he said.
Bamford said that council members be may forced to create an opinion, which they may later come to regret.
"It avoids pre-empting the significance of council debate on Monday. Its not a matter of hiding anything from the public. Its a matter of council getting a chance to, as individuals, review this, think about it, maybe talk to one another individually, get some ideas. Then at council table, present their perspectives and then make a decision," he said.
Mayor Steve Black agreed with most of what Bamford said, but did say that preliminary reports don't need to be made public before they are discussed at council. if the media has access to it, it could lead to questions before council meetings.
"I don't have a particular preference. I am here every day and discuss most of the reports with staff as were going through the agenda meetings, so I get briefed on them before they come to the council table," said Black.
He also talked about dealing with pesky reporters.
"Even in my position, I don't tend to agree to do media interviews before council has had a chance to deliberate it. Council can take the same position. if ever called by the media on an issue that's on the agenda. Say 'listen, I don't wish to comment until council's had the chance to discuss as a whole. The media will respect that," said Black.
Councillor Veronica Farrell said she fully agreed with Bamford and Black, and that she didn't want to be hassled on weekends, because there is already so much reading for Councillors to do. She believed the public should wait until Mondays.
Councillor Rick Dubeau got at least a part of his wish to have full council packages released on Fridays. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday "They trust us to make the right decision for them, and I think this is the right way of doing it" she said.
Voting in favor of the amended motion were Councillors Dubeau, Joe Campbell, Mike Doody, Andrew Marks, and Walter Wawrzaszek, along with Mayor Black. Opposed were Councillors Bamford, Farrell, and Noella Rinaldo.
Nick Stewart, Manager of Policy, Research, and Communications for the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, was thrilled with the news.
"Timely access to council resolutions is crucial for organizations who work on municipal issues, given the need to research and prepare. So its heartening to hear that council is taking this important step," he said.
After the meeting City Clerk Steph Palmateer said the policy of providing the late council package was already in place when he took his position.
"I'm personally not opposed to that, but that is a decision that council made, so they didn't release the documents to the public until the Monday afternoon of the meeting," he said, and clarified exactly what was tweaked, as releasing the full agenda was not approved.
"They've actually modified it slightly. So resolutions that are going to be approved by council will be made available on Friday, as well as any items that had been previously discussed, that are coming back to council for approval, they will also be released on the Friday prior to the meeting on Monday," said Palmateer.
Stewart told TimminsToday that its at least a big step in the right direction.
"All governments are better served by being more transparent to their constituents, and helping them to be better informed. This resolution will help achieve that, which is certainly good news," he said.
