Governance changes "blow for democracy"

St. Albert city council has narrowly voted to dramatically restructure its governance model.

After more than an hour of passionate debate Monday evening, councillors passed the most contentious part of an omnibus motion in a 4-3 vote, which was to alter its committee structure. The motion was brought forward by Coun. Jacquie Hansen and supported by Coun. Ray Watkins, Coun. Wes Brodhead and Mayor Cathy Heron.

The most controversial change will see the elimination of council's main committee, with two standing committees being formed instead. Three of six councillors would sit on each committee with the mayor an ex-officio voting member of both. The change came as part of a parcel of 21 motions from Hansen.

Currently, council debates important issues in a committee setting made up of all – called the governance, priorities and finance committee (GPFC) – before passing recommendations on to a vote at city council.

Following the changes approved Monday, three councillors each will sit on the committees dealing with governance issues related to “community growth and infrastructure” and “community living.”

Only official committee members would have voting privilege on the committees, although other council members could sit in on the meetings and debate.

Fewer council meetings

Another notable change was reducing the number of monthly regular council meetings from three to two.

Council agreed to test-drive the new governance model as a two-year pilot, revisiting it in two years, immediately before the 2021 municipal election.

The benefits of moving to a standing committee model, according to Hansen, include reducing administration’s workload ­ and creating a better-informed council and public.

“Change is difficult at times. The question I come back to is, while we are doing well as a team, are we being the best we can be? Are we being the most effective team we can be and is there a better way?” she said.

Coun. Sheena Hughes was vehemently opposed to changing council’s governance model, saying each council member was granted the privilege of serving on behalf of St. Albertans, and she does not consider it a “burden” to vote on every issue at council’s current committee level.

“You can’t predict what anyone is going to think on any issue that comes forward. There are so many times I disagree ... but I respect the fact you should be at the table for the entire process,” she said. “Because (the) electorate said, 'I want to have every person on this council be in that process.'”

In an interview, Hughes said “disappointed is an understatement” to describe how she feels about council approving the governance model changes.

“Basically, four people on council decided that, for example, my voice is not valid to be heard, my vote is not valid during the vetting process. And that for some people, three people should be making the decisions for seven,” she said. “It’s a blow for democracy, is what it is. On election day, we decided to silence our own voices.”

MacKay said he opposed the change to a standing committee model because, according to his experience as a project manager, the devil is always in the details.

“We always get tripped up in the implementation and the details and that creates trust issues, that causes dysfunction issues,” he said. “I would truly hate to see that happen to this group of fine friends I have around this table.”

Joly said she was against the move because council was elected to represent the public on all issues and only requiring two members on the standing committee for quorum does not offer the same “breadth of experience” as a committee of the whole.

Council workload

Mayor Heron supported moving to a standing committee model, arguing the proposal does not limit individual councillors’ power. She added standing committees allow council more time to invest in certain issues, and over her nine years on council she has seen council’s workload “grow and grow and grow.”

“We are pushing the seven of us to the limit, I honestly believe that,” she said.

“I want to always look for more improvements. I agree we are functioning well, and we don’t need to change. Change can be scary, but I trust this team to be able to try this change.”

Watkins objected to comments made by Hughes and Joly. Although he missed a council workshop on governance restructuring, Watkins said he has a “thorough understanding” of committees and governance from 38 years' experience. He also addressed a comment about difficulty arranging schedules made by Joly, saying he is capable of negotiating his own workload.

Watkins also said council’s current committee structure is not working very well, and he sees a lot of duplication in it.

“I’m going to be supporting this, because I think we can look at it as a better governance mode, it’s a better way to move forward,” he said. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

Brodhead spoke in support of standing committees, saying there is an “unrelenting nature” to having weekly meetings for administration and council, and it would ensure city hall is not running on a “seven-day treadmill.”

He added separating into two committees would allow councillors to focus work around their areas of interest.

“People voted us in for what they see in us, in terms of character and what we bring for our community, and all seven of us bring what we think is best to the decisions that we make,” he said.

One resident spoke strongly against the proposal in council before debate began on Hansen’s motions, saying St. Albert residents did not vote for three councillors to represent them but rather for all of council to "fully represent us."

“It’s one of the most important days of the year when we all get the opportunity to vote for who will represent us in the federal election,” said resident Mike Killick. “I find it incredibly ironic that there’s a motion being considered to create two standing committees that would limit our elected councillors the opportunity to represent us, the residents of St. Albert.”

Tuesday meetings

One of the approved changes also included holding committee days on Tuesdays, which Hughes pointed out is on the same day as the Gazette’s deadline for its Wednesday paper. Wednesday papers often include reports on decisions made at council.

“I’m just thinking about getting the information out to the public, because if it’s on Tuesday it's past the Gazette’s deadline,” Hughes said.

Hansen said she would rather move committee day from Mondays to Tuesdays, because “Mondays are not always easy to get here.”

On committee days, the standing committees would meet in the morning and afternoon, with the opportunity to meet as an entire council in committee as a whole between meetings as needed.

The “community growth and infrastructure” standing committee would deal with issues relating to municipal infrastructure, economic development and growth, land planning, transportation/transit, utilities and corporate services.

Councillors on the “community living” standing committee would handle environment matters, social and cultural matters, housing, protective services and recreational matters.

Where the standing committee meetings would be held was also a sticking point. It is council’s intention to move them back to the Douglas Cardinal Boardroom – where they used to be held – although no motion passed by council stipulated what the location would be.

Joly attempted to pass an amendment that meetings be held in council chambers, saying residents have indicated it is easier to hear and participate.

That motion was defeated 4-3, and Hansen said her hope is the committee meetings would be “more intimate and conversational” in the boardroom.

Background

The governance structure changes are timely, due to the fact the current council passed a motion at the beginning of its term for administration to bring back recommendations on governance in the third quarter of 2019.

Additionally, the previous council commissioned a 2013 study by Western Management on governance that made a series of recommendations, including moving to a standing committee model.

Council has already implemented some of the recommendations, including the formation of GPFC, and dealing with matters more efficiently by dealing with simple matters in bulk through a consent agenda.

Hughes said just because a consultant says something, that does not mean it is in St. Albert’s best interest.

Motions

1. That the Governance, Priorities and Finance Committee shall be discontinued.
2. That there shall be established two Standing Committees, each consisting of three Councillors who are voting members with the Mayor an ex officio voting member of both Committees.
3. That one of the Standing Committees shall be named “The Community Living Standing Committee” and have a mandate to deal with and bring recommendations or information to Council in respect of, issues of a governance nature (or having a governance aspect) in relation to: environmental matters, social and cultural matters, housing, Protective Services and Recreational matters.
4. That one of the Standing Committees shall be named “The Community Growth and Infrastructure Standing Committee” and have a mandate to deal with and bring recommendations or information to Council in respect of, issues of a governance nature (or having a governance aspect) in relation to: municipal infrastructure, economic development and growth (including land planning issues other than expropriation), transportation/transit, utilities and Corporate Services.
5. That there shall also be, as needed, Committee of the Whole Council meetings, as provided for in the Procedure Bylaw. These meetings will precede Regular Council meetings and deal with matters not within the mandate of either Standing Committee as determined by Agenda Committee.
6. That Regular Council meetings shall occur twice per month on the first and third Mondays of each month except where a first or third Monday is a statutory holiday in which case the regular Council meeting shall be scheduled for the Tuesday of that week.  Where there are 5 Mondays in a month a third Regular Council meeting will be scheduled.
7. That regular meetings of the Standing Committees shall be scheduled to occur once per month, on the second Tuesday of a month (“Committee Day”) with one Standing Committee meeting beginning in the morning and the other Standing Committee meeting beginning in the afternoon on Committee Day.
8. That Regular Council meetings shall commence at a time determined by Council at the annual Organizational meeting.
9. That Council shall approve the Terms of Reference for both Standing Committees consistent with their broad mandates as set out in paragraphs 6 and 7 above.
10. That Council shall appoint the members of the Standing Committees upon the recommendation of the Mayor, for two-year terms initially at the first Organizational Meeting following a general municipal election, then again at the Organizational Meeting that occurs at approximately the mid-point of a four-year Council term.  Each Council member shall have the opportunity to switch to the other Standing Committee at the end of a two year term.
11. That upon their appointment the members of a Standing Committee shall choose a Chair, and a Vice Chair to carry out the duties of Chair in the Chair’s absence, to serve for the one-year period of the Standing Committee’s appointment.
12. That a Council member who is not a member of a Standing Committee is welcome to attend the Standing Committee meeting, sit with the voting members, and be recognized by the Chair of the Standing Committee to participate in debate and discussion on any item on the Agenda.
13. That public participation and attendance is welcomed and encouraged at Standing Committee meetings on agenda items particular to that agenda.
14. That the Agenda Committee Bylaw shall be amended to include attendance by Standing Committee Chairs to ensure alignment between Council Agendas and Standing Committee Agendas. Deputy Mayor participation in Agenda Committee shall be optional.
15. That the Chair of a Standing Committee shall have the discretion to call a special meeting of the Committee at any time if the Chair is of the belief that an emergent matter requires the Committee’s attention sooner than the next Committee Day.
16. That meetings of Council and Committee of the Whole in respect of the budget process shall continue as per the status quo and shall not be affected by this governance re-structuring.
17. That written Councillor Civic Updates shall be provided to legislative services on the Tuesday prior to last meeting of the month in time to make the agenda package deadline.
18. That other Council Committees established under the Municipal Government Act whose membership consists of non-Council members (“Citizen Committees”) shall each include one Council member (and one alternate Council member) appointed for a one-year term to serve as ex officio members of the Citizens Committees. The ex-officio Councillors (or alternates) will be non-voting members (except for Policing Committee and Internal Audit Steering Committee).
19. That the Minutes of Citizen Committee meetings shall be placed on the Agenda of a Standing Committee meeting as an information item, a reasonable time after the Minutes are finalized. 
20. That the Chair of each Citizen Committee (or the Vice Chair if the Chair is not available) shall present in person a written Annual Report to a Standing Committee. Annual reports shall summarize the Citizen Committee’s activities for the past year and present a work plan for the Citizen Committee for the upcoming year.
21. That Council approve the Governance Restructure as a 2-year pilot project to be reviewed at the first regular Council meeting in September 2021 and that a matrix be established in Q2 2020.