PORT MCNEILL, B.C. – Residents are being reminded of the rules and regulations on asking questions at town of Port McNeill council meetings.
Mayor Shirley Ackland said every year, in January, they put forward what is called a procedures bylaw for meetings, which outlines how operations take place at these events.
During the first few months of the year, they address the regulations at the start of each meeting.
“If you are to ask a question, it comes at the end of the meeting and you direct it to the chair, which is me, the mayor” she said.
“The only thing we have added to that (the bylaw) is rather than have one resident or one member of the public ask a series of questions, that they ask a first question and if there is time, we would come back to them for a further question.”
She said if council meeting attendees have more questions than there is time to address, the resident can visit the town office and talk with an elected official to discuss their issue in further detail.
Ackland noted that so far, there have been no issues with residents disobeying the protocols.
“Some residents, it might be their first time attending a meeting. Others, they’re not entirely sure if they can just ask a question of anybody at the table,” she said.
“We were probably do it (address the bylaw) at the beginning of each year as our procedural bylaw changes or is renewed so that people are aware of it. It’s just good practice.”
Port McNeill council’s next meeting is this evening at 7:00 p.m.
