How the Heck do Committees Work?
An important item to unpack and break down is Committees of Council. In a city the size of Edmonton, there are a lot of decisions to make - which is where committees come in. Committees are the place to have discussions, listen to the public, and sometimes - within their authority - make decisions. Most reports are discussed at a committee meeting before going to a City Council meeting for final decision.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS:
Councillors are appointed to various committees and there are 3-5 Council members on each committee.
ONLY the Council members appointed to that committee can make MOTIONS and VOTE on items. However, all Councillors are welcome to attend (and they often do), to ask questions and make comments, and engage in the debate.
Committees are a big part of a City Councillors’ roles as meetings typically run all day (9:30 am - 5:00 pm) for several days each week.
To review the breakdown of committees and membership on committees - CLICK HERE.
Some examples of committees are Community and Public Services Committee, Urban Planning Committee, Utility Committee, Audit Committee, Executive Committee, and more.
Committees will often vote on RECOMMENDATIONS for City Council - but the final decisions are determined by City Council
Members of the public can register to speak to any item at committee.
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS:
All 13 elected members of City Council are voting members and can put forward motions on items.
Meetings are typically held bi-weekly and run all day
Items that come forward from committee can come with or without a recommendation - Council then votes on a final decision.
Let’s break down a real example - bike lanes/ infrastructure. A report was presented at Urban Planning Committee on September 27, 2022 and reviewed four options for building out Edmonton’s active transportation network, including bike lanes - costs ranging from $25 million to $170 million. A motion was put forward for Administration to develop a financial package related to accelerating bike infrastructure - which would be debated this fall during the budget 2023-2026 deliberations. The committee heard from speakers from the public and asked questions to the speakers and Administration, and the 4 Council members on this committee voted on the motion - and it passed. The motion will STILL need a final decision from City Council as part of the budget debate. Had the motion failed, no funding package would have been created for debate. City Council has not debated or approved funding for this item at this time.
Remember all reports and meetings are public and you can speak directly to Council members on items that are important to you at committee! If you need assistance navigating the nuances of reports - help is available. Reach out to 311, or the City Clerk’s office (city.clerk@edmonton.ca), or connect with your Ward Councillor :)
For an overview of items that are coming up at committees, sign-up for my E-newsletter.
