Grey Highlands to start council meetings earlier

Meetings of Grey Highlands council will be starting earlier.

At its meeting on Dec. 7, council approved a modified meeting schedule for the coming term. Council will continue to meet on the first and third Wednesday of the month, with a committee of the whole meeting being held on the fourth Wednesday. However, the meetings will now begin at 10 a.m. Previously, council meetings started at 1 p.m. and committee of the whole started at 9 a.m.

A staff report on the start time of meetings said that the average length of a meeting during the previous term of council was five hours. Staff also said 54 of 82 meetings during the last term went past the 5 p.m. end time (council can extend the length of a meeting by resolution), which resulted in significant staff overtime hours being accumulated.

Staff recommended the meetings begin at 9 a.m. in order to have business completed during regular office hours.

Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen asked for the start time to be moved back to 10 a.m.

“(Nine a.m.) does require staff to come in earlier and, selfishly, I’m not a morning person,” Nielsen said. “It should be done within the business hours of the municipality.”

Other members of council agreed with the 10 a.m. start and also asked for a 3 p.m. end time for the meeting as well.

“I do think we need to set a finish time,” said Coun. Paul Allen.

Council also voted to continue with hybrid style of meetings that allow both in-person and virtual attendance for members of council. Committees, task forces, public planning hearings, police services board meetings and committee of adjustment meetings will continue with the virtual only format. Staff provided council with a full report about virtual meetings and recommended the municipality continue to use the format for meetings.