Cochrane Councillor Morgan Nagel brought forth a Notice of Motion on Monday evening (August 14) in which he is hopeful will be adopted after the fall election.

He is looking for present Mayor and council to bring forward a formal recommendation for new Councillors to consider meeting in chambers three times a month versus twice. 

Councillor Nagel feels meeting twice a month for a few hours is just not enough time to really sink teeth into issues, concerns, and overall agenda items. "The big surprise was just how hard it is to get anything done when you're not with the whole group. We try to run around, have side conversations, email conversations, calling each other, booking one on one meetings with administration but really that does not achieve anything; we only accomplish stuff when we're together and have an open discussion."

Morgan is concerned that in chasing each other around for input, more things are being discussed over email or phone than being brought forth for public discussion in chambers. "It's the fault of the system, these are important issues that need to be discussed and dealt with but we just don't have enough time together to deal within the public setting."

Bringing the recommendation forward now is important to Nagel; he is not looking to deter people from running but rather consider what their time allows for. "I wanted to get it out there before the election and make the recommendation now because I am hoping people considering taking the job as Councillors know it is a big commitment, and I hope no one runs and gets elected who is only available 3 to 4 hours a week and are too busy."

Nagel says it seems preposterous to him that council is running a 50 million dollar organization with hundreds of employees and only meeting twice a month. "It is kind of far fetched to think we can be effective leaders of this organization at only two meetings a month. It's hardly enough time to run a good social club in my opinion."

Looking into the long range future, Nagel feels a full time council will be required to make better informed decisions rather than becoming a rubber stamping committee. "I don't like that. I think the reason that happens is so many of these issues are so sophisticated and have so many complex details involved that it becomes just too much to make a fully educated decision in the council chambers and we have to rely strictly on the expertise of administration so it really deters people from really digging their teeth into the issues and sorting things out, so councillors often find it just easiest to agree with administration and rubber stamp approve whatever they say because we know they put in the time."

A decision will not be made by current council, but if endorsed, administration could present the idea to new Mayor and council in October.