Opinion Pre-council meetings: A blow fo “open government Several words are being used to describe private meetings being held in recent weeks between Town of Sidney staff and council members prior to regular council meetings. Opponents of the meetings call them “secret meetings” and “dress rehearsals.” Those who attend them have used the words 39 ce “informal” “‘fact-finding workshops,” “pilot meetings” doing the “homework” and “council-staff agenda meetings.” The important thing is not what they are called, but what happens at these meetings and whether the residents of Sidney are better served by them. After looking at both sides of the issue, we believe the public would be better served if all discussions are held during open council meetings, and further, that senior staff be required to attend council meetings to answer questions from council members and the public. Consider this. According to minutes of a March 25 meeting between staff and council prior to the regular council meeting, a discussion regarding the Boy Scout’s request for property tax relief on property it owns next to the hall on Bevan Avenue took place. The minutes say Mayor Marie Rosko “stated campaign promises were made re Sanscha Hall and Boy Scouts tax relief.” The following sentence raises more red flags than the Indy accident. “Staff would recommend (1) amend grant policy to a ‘no grant policy with exception of Boy Scout Hall’ and (2) direct staff to “extend Tax Exemption Bylaw’.” Further, the minutes say “The Mayor thought there was a possibility of sale of hall by Scouts, and transfer of those funds to Sanscha Hall — Scouts could meet there and use amenities of hall.” The impression we are left with is that a decade-old no-grants policy was amended for one specific group during a meeting behind closed doors. The council directive that staff would make the recommenda- tion was not followed in the open council meeting. In a memo to council, administrator Geoff Logan clearly stated his objection to the no-grants policy being amended for reasons that are fair and logical. Although there was comment made by each council members during the open meeting, it was the recommendation that was put forward during the private session that is improper. Background information put forward in Logan’s memo could be considered by individual council members at their leisure. Clearly, pre-council private meetings are not fulfilling the original intention of getting background and becoming familiar with procedure. Three aldermen — John Calder, Dave Goulet and Bob Jones — can be commended for the stand they have taken against their colleagues, who all sought election on a platform that included “open government’. Calder said: “The general public has a right to be present at the spontaneous dialogue between council and staff.” ’ Goulet said: “It can be construed as manipulating the decision-making process in our regular council meetings.” Jones agreed with Goulet and added that “unless the format of the meetings is changed to reflect less agenda related topics, I will not attend.” We agree that “council members should be able to obtain as much information as possible in order to make reasonable, rational decisions,” as Ald. Don Amos said. We also agree with Ald. Brenda Harfield that “everyone has their own style of doing their homework.” : And Mayor Rosko’s intention to save staff from dealing with Six time-consuming individual enquiries, thus saving taxpayers’ money, is also commendable. But there are other options. Council members should do their own homework, save their opinion for the open council meeting and eliminate the impression that the process is being manipulated. That’s how the public gets to see both sides of an issue. Volume 77 Issue No.16 TheReview Wednesday, April 17,1991 — A6 Virs COMMENDABLE THAT You'RE So ENTHUSIASTIC, ANDEEW... BUT IT COULD TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 1st Street Sidney, B.C. V8L 3C9 or BO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 Published every Wednesday 656-1151 Publisher: Vic Swan Editor: Glenn Werkman AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER Be ORUZE WINN rae CCNA