The Municipal Act stipulates that each municipality must have a Procedural By-law that governs the calling, place and proceedings of Council, Committees, etc. It is important that this by-law is continually reviewed to ensure the proceedings of these meetings are current, relevant, compliant and consistent with best practices.
The Township of South Stormont has undergone a Service Delivery Review which indicated recommendations to improve efficiencies and the overall function of your municipal government. As part of that review, recommendations were made to improve the Township's Procedural By-law.
Based on those recommendations, legislative updates and feedback from Council and staff, aContinue reading
The Municipal Act stipulates that each municipality must have a Procedural By-law that governs the calling, place and proceedings of Council, Committees, etc. It is important that this by-law is continually reviewed to ensure the proceedings of these meetings are current, relevant, compliant and consistent with best practices.
The Township of South Stormont has undergone a Service Delivery Review which indicated recommendations to improve efficiencies and the overall function of your municipal government. As part of that review, recommendations were made to improve the Township's Procedural By-law.
Based on those recommendations, legislative updates and feedback from Council and staff, a DRAFT Procedural By-law has been presented to Council and we are seeking input from the public on the proposed amendments. Please utilize the Questions and Discussion tools below to share your thoughts or ask questions to staff. You can also submit your comments via email to the Director of Corporate Services/Clerk. Comments will be received until Tuesday, September 21, 2021.
Some key amendments proposed are listed below, however for full understanding of the by-law, we recommend reviewing the draft documents found in the documents tab on the right side of this page.
Key Findings
Duplication
The proposed by-law removes information that is duplicated within other polices, statues or is of no practical value to Council, the public or staff. For example, the Township’s Council-Staff Relations Policy and Council’s Code of Conduct Policy provide for standards of behavior and therefore are not required in the Procedural By-law.
Language
The overall language has been simplified and presented in a positive manner for both ease of use and understanding.
Procedural Summary
Procedural items are described clearly and a chart summarizing actions surrounding Motions has been added as an appendix for easier reference.
Delegations - Reduce Time
In the current by-law, delegations are afforded 15 minutes, the Service Delivery Review recommends 5 minutes. The proposed by-law allows 10 minutes.
Reconsideration
The proposed by-law limits reconsideration to the term of Council whereas, the current by-law provides for reconsideration after a 12-month period.
Committee/Member Updates to Include Announcements
The proposed by-law allows members to provide updates to Council on items of community interest. This may include meetings attended, outside Township business, and Community events.
Electronic Participation and Live Streaming
The proposed by-law provides for electronic participation, in both open and closed meetings. Provisions are in place for advance notice and declaration of pecuniary interest while attending electronically. The proposed by-law indicates that members of Council may attend up to 3 consecutive meetings electronically before a resolution of Council is required.
Live Streaming and recording of meetings are addressed. Additionally, the proposed by-law specifies that should the meeting room be closed to the public due to an emergent situation such as a pandemic, and the live stream discontinue for reasons of a technical nature, the meeting will be adjourned and re-scheduled with proper notice. It is imperative that the municipality maintain transparency.
