EDITORIAL – The brilliance of moving Mayor’s Report to bottom of agenda

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IN HINDSIGHT, the decision by the Band of Eight to relegate the Mayor’s Report to the last item on the agenda of regular City council meetings was brilliant.

When it was implemented a few weeks ago, it seemed obvious it was a move to make it easier — by simply forcing adjournment of the meeting — to cut Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson off from his never-ending attempts to defend his image. In their view, he tends to stray into confidential information; in his, he seeks transparency.

At the last regular meeting two weeks ago, he was shut down again. He began during councillors’ reports (which precede the mayor’s report), talking about the various code of conduct investigations against him and his dissatisfaction with Vancouver lawyer Reece Harding who is consistently chosen by administration to do the reports.

Then, during his own mayor’s report, he moved on to what he said was an unfounded claim by Coun. Katie Neustaeter that he was monitoring her bathroom breaks, and other comments she had made. These, apparently, were the subject of one of his own dismissed code of conduct complaints.

Then he asked for file numbers on Worksafe BC claims against him so he could find out what they’re all about, finishing off by saying he’s asked developer Joshua Knaak to file an assault charge against him, apparently so he can refute claims made by Knaak about a nightclub incident more than two years ago.

It was then that Neustaeter started calling for adjournment, and the video feed was terminated. Which, by the way, the council has done several times before and which is illegal according to my reading of rules of order.

First of all, Robert’s Rules, the guidebook for running meetings, is clear that a council or board member can’t interrupt another speaker. Clearly, Hamer-Jackson was interrupted. Secondly, the standard reason for adjournment is that there’s no further business to discuss. Hamer-Jackson was raising further business.

And, thirdly, adjournment requires a majority vote. The one to call votes on adjournment is the chair, so it’s arguable the whole shut-the-mayor-up-by-adjourning-the-meeting gambit is bogus.

It’s surprising staff hasn’t pointed these things out, since it’s always willing to steer the mayor right when he strays outside the rules.

My point is, though, that moving the Mayor’s Report to the bottom of the agenda all but guarantees some fireworks, making it highly tempting for observers to stick it through to the end. No doubt, the audience has also expanded.

Council meetings used to be so boring. Council must be congratulated on making their proceedings more entertaining, though not necessarily more productive or informative.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.