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Public question period stopped in Sechelt

SECHELT COUNCIL

There will be no more public question and answer period at Sechelt council meetings until after the Nov. 15 municipal election, due to a bylaw from 2012 that bars the activity.

Coun. Darnelda Siegers brought up the new rule during an Oct. 8 council meeting.

“Given we’re in this process, the election process, I know by law at some point there is no more public question/answer period,” Siegers said. “Do we know when that kicks in?”

Corporate officer Margi Nicholas said she’d look into it and later told Coast Reporter that council procedure bylaw No. 521, 2012, states there can be no public question and answer period at council meetings between Friday, Oct. 10 and election day on Nov. 15.

She said the bylaw, which nixes the public period, was adopted by council in 2012 and that “the previous corporate officer incorporated this amendment while drafting the bylaw. I cannot speak to his reasons for doing so.”

An email was then sent by Coast Reporter to all of council asking why the amendment was made and if they agree with the rule. Only Sechelt Mayor John Henderson responded.

“As you know, I am the spokesman for the District,” Henderson wrote. “As such, I will provide a response on behalf of council, in due course.”

Later in a telephone interview, Henderson said the bylaw was actually “a recommendation that came from staff.”

“My understanding is that it is a practice that’s widely adopted by other municipalities and it’s primarily, I think, intended to keep the business of the District separate from the campaigning,” Henderson said.

“I think historically there’s been cases elsewhere where candidates use that question time to make what amounts to political speeches, so the idea is that we stop that. People, of course, can still ask questions these days with emails and phone calls and letters. Everything can be asked, but not in a way that can be co-opted for political purposes.”