Bylaw would establish learning sessions for council

Brandon city council has given first reading to a bylaw that would pave the way for informal council “educational sessions.”

The sessions, which were described last month by the city’s director of legislative services, would be used to provide information, training, background, legislative updates or subject-matter briefings to council members.

The bylaw’s first reading was passed unanimously at last week’s meeting with no debate — as is standard for first readings.

“We didn’t have a platform to provide education or orientation, much like a new employee would be onboarded,” acting city clerk Alexis Sukaroff said on Wednesday.

She said council would not be sitting as a governing body during the sessions, and agendas and minutes would not be taken, as the meetings would be informal.

Aside from potentially onboarding a new council following an election, administration doesn’t have a “strategy” for how the sessions would be used, Sukaroff said.

“Education sessions (would be) for the opportunity to provide just information that’s not otherwise publicly consumed because it’s operational. It’s not part of how your community is run,” Sukaroff said.

The sessions would be held separately from regular and special council meetings — where decisions can be made — and committee meetings — where recommendations are passed.

The information, in the past, was typically presented during committee meetings.

The city’s regular city clerk, Renee Sigurdson, said during a meeting last month that the city doesn’t currently have a term for such briefings, and the bylaw would formalize them.

A council report notes that no decisions, resolutions or direction would be provided during the meetings.

Sukaroff said a good example of a session would be the city launching a new software platform, and staff going over how it works with council members.

There’s no benefit to keeping minutes as the sessions would be similar to a business meeting at a private-sector organization, she said.

“I don’t know what the minutes would record, other than who received the information that day, which would be recorded by attendance of the invite itself,” Sukaroff said.

“This is us trying to be transparent by posting a series of sessions that could otherwise be taking place at any organization any day of the week without public notice.”

She noted that information regarding the sessions would be available through freedom-of-information requests, though it may also be available upon regular request.

While a council member’s attendance at the sessions would be optional, they would be allowed to claim a per diem. However, Sukaroff said that the city’s indemnity bylaw will be reviewed by the newly elected council, and the current proposal is to restructure how council members are paid, with no per diems.

The topic is expected to come back to council next month, which would be under a new council. The current council’s last meeting is on Monday.

» alambert@brandonsun.com