CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown’s council meetings and public meetings could soon get a bit shorter.
The council advisory committee served a notice of motion Tuesday to amend the procedural bylaw.
The purpose of the proposed amendments is to set time limits with respect to speaking to a question as well as presenting and speaking at public meetings.
Sometimes at council meetings, councillors will rise with multiple questions and take up a fair amount of time with their questions. Some councillors want to set limits on how often they can speak to issues. With regards to public meetings, the amendments would be designed to give more people a chance to speak rather than have a select few hog the mike.
Public meetings of council and general public meetings are restricted to three hours in length. To go any longer than that requires a vote of council.
Coun. Terry MacLeod, chairman of the council advisory committee, said his committee had a lengthy discussion on possible time limits at its recent meeting.
“Some councillors felt that we need to speed (things) up a little bit (while) some want to drag it out longer than it needs to be,’’ MacLeod said following council’s regular public meeting on Tuesday.
“And, some felt that the general public weren’t getting their chance to have their say (at public meetings). Some of us think if you had a time limit there would be enough time for everyone to have their say.’’
“We have had some questions go on for 10 or 15 minutes, and some councillors felt that was getting too long.’’
-Coun. Terry MacLeod
MacLeod said his committee, consisting of Coun. Mike Duffy (vice-chairman) and councillors Alanna Jankov, Deputy Mayor Jason Coady and Mayor Philip Brown, was split on the need for time limits. Still, there was a “fair consensus’’ that council should at least consider it.
MacLeod wouldn’t say which councillors he feels have been long-winded.
“We have had some questions go on for 10 or 15 minutes, and some councillors felt that was getting too long.’’
If the amendments were to go through, it would give Brown the authority to limit the time to speak.
MacLeod said in his personal opinion, three hours is plenty of time for everyone to have their say at a meeting.
Serving the notice of motion means that the issue will be discussed at a future public meeting of council.
