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Kelowna council to ponder public comments at regular meetings

Council had expressed interest in using different options to hear from the public and organizations
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Kelowna City Council chambers. (Black Press file photo)

An ‘open mic’ is likely not going to be an option for Kelowna council to hear from the public at its regular meetings.

Council had previously expressed interest in using different options to hear from the public and organizations.

Staff is bringing a report to council on options for delegations and public participation during council meetings.

READ MORE: Kelowna council supports mayor in making city hall more transparent

It states that ‘open mic’ portions of meetings present several risks including the raising of issues outside of the city’s jurisdiction, requests that may shift focus and resources away from council priorities, and expectations for council to make a decision with limited information and no review or recommendation from staff.

The report does recommend continuing to receive correspondence through mayor and council, and provide responses to the public, using Committee of the Whole meetings to hear from delegations or the public on specific matters, as well as expanding criteria to hear from delegations during regular council meetings.

Council will consider the report at its Feb. 13 meeting.

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@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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