Among the first things the next council should do is revisit the procedural bylaw this council has saddled them with.

It simply isn’t working.

It promotes “efficiency” over effectiveness. It cuts off public input. It discourages council debate. Sure, the mayor and councillors might get home in time to see the end of the Jays’ game, but at what cost to the job they were elected to do?

Don’t blame them all for this. Some are as unhappy with it as many members of the public are. Coun. Keith Riel moved to leave any consideration of a new procedural bylaw to the next council given the lateness of this term. But his motion, perhaps predictably, didn’t pass.

I watched last Monday’s council meeting. I watch them all. Frankly, I found last week’s exhausting. Not because of the hour (although it did go on) but because of how it was conducted under the new rules.

In case you have missed it while getting on with life, the new procedural bylaw limits the total number of public delegations at any one meeting to four per agenda item to a maximum of 10 per meeting.

No matter how many agenda items there are or how critical they may be.

Each member of the public has five minutes for their presentation, but only 90 seconds to respond to a question a member of council may have of them. No matter how critical or complex the issue. No matter how expert the presenter.

A member of council can only ask a presenter two questions, each eliciting no more than that 90-second response. Again, no matter how critical the issue. No matter how expert the presenter.

Mind you, council members should stick to asking the public questions at this point, not arguing or pontificating.

When it comes to council debating the issue later, each member is limited to two three-minute statements. If the member asks a question of staff, the response time is deducted from the councillor’s debate time.

All very efficient. Never mind getting the information you need for a considered, transparent decision. Just stick to the schedule. Make what you can of the 90-second response you got from someone who, if given a chance, knows more than they can tell you.

The schedule is the important thing, as Mayor Jeff Leal kept reminding both councillors and the public.

“Do you want to use your second three minutes now?” he kept barking at councillors while they were in mid-statement. “You have 27 seconds left.” Among other things, interrupting someone while they are speaking — especially when they haven’t finished their sentence — is rude. And, after it happens often enough, exhausting to watch.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jeff!” I found myself growling at the television Monday.

It used to be that the mayor gave the public a warning that their time was running out. Monday night, they were simply informed “your time is up” and told they can “complete their thought.” Or their sentence.

Council is elected to bring considered, thoughtful government to this city. You don’t do that with 90-second answers, and six-minute debate points. Or unreasonably limiting public input.

You don’t do it by valuing efficiency over effectiveness. You don’t do it by cutting off debate.

Hopefully, the next council will recognize that.

If you want to count on always getting home in time to see the end of the Jays’ game, don’t run for council. They lost that Monday night, anyway.

© Peterborough Examiner