Quiz your council: City considers return of gallery question period during meetings

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John people may soon get the opportunity to quiz their elected representatives directly if a city plan is approved.

During the August 11th regular meeting of the City of Fort St. John, Councillor Trevor Bolin told council he would be proposing a change to the Council Procedure Bylaw first passed in 2017. 

The amendment proposed by Bolin would see a section in council agendas for questions and comments from members of the public who attend meetings in the public gallery at City Hall.

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, Bolin explained he envisions the change to the agenda format as another method of furthering the council’s “open and transparent way of working with residents.”

“I think if people are given the chance to ask a question pertaining to the agenda, I feel that would help them to not try to seek out answers somewhere else,” Bolin said.

Gallery comments and questions are not currently included in the City of Fort St. John’s agendas, a fact that makes Fort St. John’s municipal government unique when compared to other local governments in the region, including the Peace River Regional District (PRRD).

Currently, the only individuals allowed to ask questions at council meetings are members of the media. 

Bolin brought the proposal forward as a notice of motion, meaning no votes were held nor research started. 

A formal request to staff will be included in council’s next meeting on August 25th, which, if approved by council, will begin the process of staff research into creating an amendment. 

To read the full 2017 Council Procedure Bylaw, see below.