Waltham council tried something new on Monday evening (Mar. 16), opening its monthly working sessions so that interested members of the public can witness the deliberations.
The decision to lift the veil on these working sessions, also sometimes called plenary meetings, was approved in a unanimous vote at the council’s Feb. 18 meeting. The municipality will now open the sessions for a trial period of three months.
During this period, the public may attend the sessions to observe the discussions, but will not be allowed to ask questions or comment on the proceedings. Waltham mayor Jordan Evans said in an emailed statement that council opened the sessions to show residents what goes on in these meetings.
“This will allow residents to observe how council reviews information and prepares matters that may later come before council at a regular meeting,” she said.
She said that one of the biggest misconceptions around these meetings is that they are where decisions are made. She said this is far from the case, and hopes the trial will give residents a better window into the decision-making process.
“They are working meetings where council reviews information, asks questions of administration, and prepares matters that may later appear on the agenda of a public council meeting. All decisions continue to be made at duly convened public meetings of council,” she wrote.
Councillor Brendan Adam said he’s not entirely sure about the idea of open working sessions. He said that in Waltham, certain hot topics such as the fire department seem to spark passionate public debate that can get in the way of the meeting’s productivity.
“It just kind of made me think that because there are some subjects that are so touchy, people get excited about it, that maybe [the council] should just talk about them,” he said.
Adam said he hopes the public will adhere to the rules of the working sessions. But he said at the end of the day, councillors are elected to represent residents.
“You already elected me to represent you, I feel like I’m doing my best, but if you want to come in and check in on that, fine,” he said.
Evans wrote that she was not concerned about the public’s conduct at meetings since there are rules in place to ensure that “discussions remain respectful and orderly.”
“Those expectations apply to everyone attending municipal meetings, and they will continue to guide how these sessions are conducted.”
She said the council is doing everything it can to have residents follow and participate in municipal affairs, including council meetings, public question period, and public consultations where required.
“Council will continue to review ways to ensure residents can stay informed about municipal activities,” she wrote.
Director general Annik Plante confirmed that certain items will remain closed to the public due to the confidential nature of the subject matter.
“Any portion of meetings dealing with confidential matters, such as human resources, legal issues, contractual or financial negotiations, public safety, or other sensitive topics, will remain closed to the public,” read her email.
The council will re-evaluate the initiative before the three-month trial period is over and will have a vote on whether to continue.
With this decision, Waltham becomes the third MRC Pontiac municipality to make their plenary discussions public in some form, joining Alleyn-et-Cawood and Otter Lake.
