Title
Establish Dates for Governance and Priorities Committee Meetings
Proposed Motion
1. That the 2025-2026 Governance and Priorities Committee meetings be scheduled to commence at 9:00 a.m. at Parkland County Centre, Council Chambers, on the following dates, as presented.
- November 4, 2025
- January 20, 2026
- February 3, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- March 3, 2026
- April 7, 2026
- April 21, 2026
- May 5, 2026
- May 19, 2026
- June 2, 2026
- June 16, 2026
- July 7, 2026
- September 1, 2026
- September 15, 2026
- October 6, 2026
- October 20, 2026
2. That a Governance and Priorities Committee meeting be scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m. at Parkland County Centre, Council Chambers, on December 2, 2025.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Administration recommends that Council consider the option of scheduling Governance and Priorities Committee meetings once per month.
Purpose
To establish the dates for the Governance and Priorities meetings for the next twelve months.
Summary
The Governance and Priorities Committee is guided by a terms of reference that was last reviewed and revised on November 30, 2021. The terms of reference, attachment #1, states that meetings of the Governance and Priorities Committee meetings be held the first and third Tuesday of every month.
Each year at the organizational meeting Council sets the dates for the Governance and Priorities Committee meetings between now and the next organizational meeting. The meeting dates selected have been determined by setting Governance and Priorities meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month and then removing meetings that fall on the same date that is affected by the winter break, summer break, statutory holidays and conferences that all of Council attends. The meetings dates established will be communicated by posting the dates on Parkland County's website as well as communicated throughout the year on social media, and the County's "Your Parkland" publication.
The December 2, 2025 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting date needs to be scheduled at 10:00 a.m. to follow the budget approval meeting scheduled for December 2, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
Historical Information:
Governance and Priorities Committee meetings have historically been scheduled on the first and third Tuesday of each month, except where these dates are affected by winter break, summer break, statutory holidays or conferences that all of Council attends.
In 2023, a total of 17 Governance and Priorities meetings were scheduled, 1 of these meetings were cancelled. This resulted in 16 meetings proceeding, averaging, approximately 1.25 per month. The duration of each meeting ranged from 45 minutes to 4.0 hours, with the average length of a meeting being 2.5 hours.
In 2024, a total of 17 Governance and Priorities meetings were scheduled, 4 of these meetings were cancelled. This resulted in 13 meetings proceeding, averaging approximately 1 per month. The duration of each meeting ranged from 1.0 hours to 3.5 hours, with the average length of a meeting being 2.5 hours.
In 2025, a total of 17 Governance and Priorities meetings were scheduled, 4 of these meetings were cancelled. This resulted in 13 meetings proceeding, averaging approximately 1 per month. The duration of each meeting ranged from 40 minutes to 3.0 hours, with the average length of a meeting being 2.0 hours.
When Governance and Priorities Committee meetings were scheduled and then cancelled there were either no matters scheduled to bring forward to Council or there were very few matters that administration was able to move to the next Governance and Priorities Committee meeting date.
Options:
Option #1 - Council can approve the dates for Governance and Priorities Committee meetings to occur twice per month as presented, for a total of 17 meetings.
The benefit of this option is that it maintains the status quo. This option requires the time and resources of both members of council and administration to prepare for and to attend two short Governance and Priorities Committees per month.
Option #2 - Council may choose to make amendments to the dates, such as reduce the frequency of the Governance and Priorities Committee meetings to once per month. To implement a change Council will need to, by resolution, provide administration with direction to implement Governance and Priorities Committee meetings a the desired frequency. Council may wish to consider identifying a specific day and week that the meeting is to be scheduled on. For example, the third Tuesday of each month. Administration will then draft a new bylaw for the Governance and Priorities Committee and present the bylaw to Council for consideration. With this option administration recommends that council pass a second resolution to set Governance and Priority Committee meetings on November 4, 2025 starting at 9:00 a.m. and December 2, 2025 starting at 10:00 a.m. to be held at Parkland County Centre, Council Chambers. This resolution will serve to establish Governance and Priorities meeting dates to provide administration an opportunity to introduce the draft bylaw and bring forward other matters for information.
The benefit of this option is that the agenda's for Governance and Priorities Committee meetings will contain a reasonable number of matters to utilize Council's and administration's time and resources in an effective and efficient manner. Rather than creating confusion for residents, business owners, and staff when meetings are cancelled, this option may provide more certainty that the meetings will proceed as scheduled at the organizational meeting each year.
Strategic Plan/Policy/Legal/Staff Implications:
An approved annual calendar provides a set schedule for Governance and Priorities Committees allowing for proper and effective planning within the organization and for residents, business owners and other interested parties.
Financial Impact:
Cost:
Source of Funding:
Other: