ItB次元官网网址檚 an ongoing joke in many communities that council meetings can run a bit longer than expected - sometimes lasting hours into the evening.

Ironically, one B.C. municipality has taken the time to debate the matter.

North Saanich Coun. Celia Stock raised a motion recently, seeking to limit the amount of councilor discussion that takes place on any given issue B次元官网网址� in an attempt to speed up their meetings.

She said she wanted meetings run in a more effective and efficient manner and pointed to neighbouring councils in Central Saanich and Sidney that put time limits on how long a politician can debate a point.

B次元官网网址淎ll of us have had this B次元官网网址� on the radar since last fall,B次元官网网址� Stock said. B次元官网网址淲e do often tend to have meetings that last (up to) four-and-a-half hours.B次元官网网址�

In SidneyB次元官网网址檚 example, she continued, thereB次元官网网址檚 a procedural bylaw in place that keeps debate per councilor to five minutes on each subject.

B次元官网网址淎nd then they are not allowed to keep on speaking,B次元官网网址� she said.

Central SaanichB次元官网网址檚 limit, she continued, is 10 minutes and the limit among Capital Regional District directors is 15 minutes. Stock said having similar limits in North Saanich could prevent meetings from going beyond 10:30 p.m. and B次元官网网址渘ot subjecting staffB次元官网网址� to long sessions of council.

It was clear, however, that other councillors have been timing each other and, instead of imposing limits, a majority suggested other means of keeping the meetings more succinct.

Coun. Heather Gartshore said their meetings vary from two-and-a-half hours to those longer ones Stock mentioned. However, Gartshore said the longer ones are rare B次元官网网址� despite the three long ones council had in January.

B次元官网网址淚 feel this notice is born of frustration,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 feel as if this is trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer.B次元官网网址�

Gartshore wondered how it would be enforced, such as having staff with stopwatches.

She added she feels meeting length is related to agenda size, saying if North Saanich council met more frequently and didnB次元官网网址檛 break in the summer, the meetings could be quicker.

Gartshore also said if councillors come prepared and ready to go, meetings may also pick up.

B次元官网网址淢y observation is that doesnB次元官网网址檛 always happen.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Geoff Orr noted with humour that Gartshore herself spoke seven minutes on the issue, but basically agreed with her. Her said he doesnB次元官网网址檛 feel he has to apologize for asking questions to reach the decisions he needs to reach.

Coun. Jack Thornburgh added he saw StockB次元官网网址檚 motion as B次元官网网址榓spirationalB次元官网网址�, rather than prescriptive. If councillors exercise self-discipline, he continued, there wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be a need for time limits.

In the end, StockB次元官网网址檚 motion was defeated in a 5-2 vote (Stock and Mayor Alice Finall voted for it).

The entire debate took approximately 36 minutes.

editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
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