City Council voted to start its meetings an hour earlier to better balance work schedules with its members’ commitments as elected officials.

Council generally convenes three meetings each month: Regular Council Meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays and Corporate Priorities Committee Meetings on the third Tuesday. Regular Council meetings allow Council to debate issues and make decisions while Corporate Priorities Committee Meetings essentially function as a “committee of the whole.” These committee meetings allow council to debate issues at greater length, give administration direction on research to conduct and potential policies and bylaws to draft, and generally set the future agenda for Regular Council Meetings.

While these meetings have been held at 6:00 pm, Council felt that an earlier start time would help most Council members strike a better balance between their personal work commitments and their duties as elected officials.

“We are proud that we have created an environment where parents and young working professionals can maintain a professional and personal life while still making an important impact on this community through service as an elected official,” Mayor Bob Mattice said. “Schedules can become busy and difficult to manage, and we hope that this change, at least in a small measure, makes it easier to balance the commitment we all face. We know it won’t be perfect for everyone in every instance, but we felt the change would be a positive one overall.”

In addition to Regular Council Meetings and Corporate Priorities Meetings, the Mayor and Councillors attend a wide variety of advisory committee meetings held at various times each month. The Mayor and Councillors also attend training sessions, conferences and meetings as required.

“While our schedules are busy, we are not complaining,” Bob Mattice said. “This job is an honour to be entrusted with, and we remain grateful to the residents of this community for the trust they have put in this Council.”

Members of the public can attend Regular Council Meetings and Corporate Priorities Meetings in person at City Hall, beginning at 5:00 pm. Meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes are available at www.coldlake.com. Meetings are also streamed live on the City of Cold Lake’s YouTube channel.