Public question period set to return to city council meetings

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John council is moving forward with bringing gallery comments and questions back to regular council meetings. 

During the November 10th committee of the whole meeting, staff detailed the existing methods of public engagement and options for council to accept public feedback during the meetings. 

According to staff, members of the public can contact the government and members of council via email, letter, phone and by participation in surveys and public consultation activities. 

Public hearings and meetings on specific topics also provide structured opportunities for residents to address the council, however regular meetings currently “lack spontaneous or live feedback” opportunities, staff noted. 

City staff were originally asked to pursue bringing the public feedback portion of the agenda back in an August council meeting, following a request from Councillor Trevor Bolin. 

Of the two options for where the comments could be accepted from the public, the council expressed their interest in modifying the section of the agenda which asks for questions from members of the media. 

The second option would see public comments included in the agenda separate from the questions from members of the media, near the start of the meeting. 

Following the change, agendas would feature an item entitled ‘questions from the media and public.’ 

The amendment would allow attendees of council meetings to provide input or ask questions at the end of regular council meetings.

According to a report from staff, residents have not been able to do so since the 2017 version of the Council Procedure Bylaw was approved, which did not include an opportunity for public input during council meetings. 

During the regular council meeting, which directly followed the committee of the whole, councillors voted to direct staff to explore a bylaw amendment that would be presented to council to approve during a later council meeting. 

No information was provided in the report or during the meeting which detailed when the amendment would be presented and passed. 

To read the full report from staff, see below.