By Chris Lewis | Nov. 19, 2020
Mount Pearl council may become slightly more transparent in the coming months.
Mayor Dave Aker raised the matter near the end of Tuesday’s public meeting.
Aker highlighted a recent trend among some municipalities to open more of their private deliberations to the public.
The mayor said the suggestion was coming from a place of transparency and accountability. He suggested the idea be looked at further by council’s corporate services and economic development committee.
“We’ve always done our (committee of the whole meetings) privately, and I think the trend is moving away from that,” Aker said. “I feel that we need to unveil the cloak that’s around committee of the whole.”
The economic development committee includes councillors Isabelle Fry, Bill Antle, and director Cassie Pittman.
Aker cautioned there will still be things that must be discussed privately such as human resource matters and potential legal issues,.
“The issue here is not to say what we won’t go public with, it’s the focus on the addition of transparency, and therefore accountability,” he said.
Aker tasked the committee with a jurisdictional review and to work with the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs. All of that, then, would be brought back to the committee of the whole with a recommendation or plan to move forward with the idea.
“I really, sincerely believe this is in our best interest, and I believe that in today’s age, our residents would expect that,” Aker said.
