City politicians will have more time before meetings to get information, with a new schedule and earlier delivery of agendas, according to Coun. Jim Kipp, who pitched a switch-up Monday.
Nanaimo council has called for a city staff report on a new schedule proposed by Kipp, which could see public city meetings shuffled from Monday to Thursday and an agenda delivered six days in advance.
Agendas are currently released on Thursday, three days before city council and committee of the whole meetings, a period of time Kipp says is deemed insufficient by council and the public.
An earlier agenda and later delegation deadline – proposed to be noon the Tuesday before a meeting – would allow the public, council and staff more time to address questions and answers during work days.
The new schedule would also require late changes to agendas be made by 4 p.m. Wednesday and public hearings on the first available Monday each month.
“I do think that it’s important that we get to this type of scheduling,” Kipp said. “It frees us up for our weekends instead of being all panicked and everybody having to get a hold of staff on the weekend to ask questions or any of our public that want to know things are calling us. We will have a few days – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – to get some more information.”
Council members said the move makes sense.
Councillors voted unanimously to get a staff report on the schedule, and notification for the changed dates.