Changes in city council schedule. COVID is changing much of what happens at every level.

By Staff

January 19, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

City Council meetings now take place on a Tuesday and they begin at 1:00 pm

This kind of schedule is acceptable while we are living and working under COVID conditions.

Virtual meetings mean we don’t see the Council members in their seats.

Mayor Meed Ward talks in terms of these conditions being in place for some time – possibly to the end of the year.  No one knows of course.  We all just wait and see: will the vaccine prove to be the solution?

Delegations have been slim to none

All City meetings continue to be held virtually.

Amanda Fusco, Manager of Records and Information, argues that “Shifting Council meetings from Monday to Tuesday ensures better customer service. It not only improves the delegate experience and aligns delegate deadlines with standing committees, but also provides Council members time to receive information and prepare amendments.”

You want to take that statement with a large dose of salt.

All the heavy lifting gets done at Standing Committee which are held in the evenings when there are statutory meetings.  The wind has been taken out of the delegation sails; those who were frequent delegators in the past are not rising to the challenges the way they have in the past.

Related news story:

Muir on why delegations are not taking place.