As you know, I believe that not making minutes and audio recordings available within a reasonable time frame is a real obstacle to citizen participation.
The regulations stipulate a 30-day deadline for filing minutes, as they must be approved at the next meeting according to the municipal elected officials’ welcome guide. And if the municipality does not file the minutes, what happens? In our experience, nothing! Often, not much happens… perhaps an email from the CMQ reminding the municipal administration to make the minutes public, at best.
30 days to file reports is still too long!
In my opinion, 30 days to file a report is far too long if we really want to encourage citizen participation and allow people to follow the decisions of their elected officials. It must be admitted that publishing several months later undoubtedly has the effect of reducing questions from citizens.
Blinded citizens
In practical terms, I realize that this means that citizens will attend the next council meeting without even knowing what was said at the previous one—unless they attended in person and took notes. I talk to citizens who attend, and very few of them take notes on all the decisions. In short: if you attend council meetings regularly, you have a chance of keeping up with what’s going on. Otherwise… forget it!
Few people are aware of the council’s decisions.
And judging by the number of people present in the room during council meetings, it cannot be said that this is the most popular event in town. As a result, only a handful of citizens are aware of what is discussed and decided at city council meetings. And, from what I can see, it is pretty much always the same people who attend the meetings.
Lack of interest limits pressure on the municipal administration.
I have come to believe that very few citizens are interested in council meetings unless there is a major issue at stake, and that they are even less interested in the minutes or audio recordings. This means that the municipal administration can publish information several months late without feeling any pressure to do better. This was the case during the elections. Under these circumstances, the administration and elected officials receive less attention and fewer questions.
View questions from citizens during city council meetings
Another cause for concern is that citizens’ questions are no longer transcribed in the minutes. Instead, we are asked to listen to the audio recording… when it exists. In this context, how can we keep track of citizens’ concerns, discussions, and decisions? Above all, how can we follow up on the municipality’s response to citizens’ questions? Submitting a request to the council is good, but getting follow-up and results is even better. But how can we follow up on citizens’ requests if they are not transcribed?
Does the general lack of interest among the population give the administration the green light to relegate these obligations to the background? Perhaps. But even if I am one of the few citizens of North Hatley who systematically requests access to minutes and recordings… so be it. I believe I am entitled to this information within a reasonable time frame, and I have no intention of letting go. Honestly, it seems like a simple request to me. If that’s not the case, please explain why.
Many good intentions in theory
The problem is that this famous “reasonable time frame” seems to be limited, in our municipal reality, to the strict legal minimum: publishing the minutes just before the next meeting, not to inform citizens, but simply to comply with the law. Remember that during the election period, the minutes from March to October had still not been published on the website. Under these conditions, it is difficult to keep track of what is happening… I get the impression that if there are no consequences, it is not a priority.
Do most people vote blindly?
This situation also partly explains why so many people vote “blindly” or simply abstain. It should be noted that, according to the Léger poll, 77% of citizens say they know their mayor, but in half of the cases, this “knowledge” does not go beyond being able to remember their name.
It is also understandable why the audio recordings are several months behind: the municipality is simply not legally required to post them online. And what are the consequences? In my experience, none!
Request management to file documents
On Monday morning, I politely wrote to senior management to ask if it would be possible to submit or send me the minutes and recordings of the August, September, October, and November meetings, including the one from November 28, which was still missing. Since then: total silence. No acknowledgment of receipt. Nothing. Perhaps the “normal” response time exceeds a week, given the small team and workload. Or maybe my email just ended up in spam.
Are there any consequences to all this? No. Meanwhile, as a citizen and taxpayer, I have to chase after essential documents that I am entitled to—and for which I almost have to fight to obtain. Please don’t tell me that citizen participation is encouraged in North Hatley.
No response
Nevertheless, I find it difficult to understand why there has been no response to such a simple request, especially when it is addressed to the highest administrative authority. And in my career, I have always found that a team is very much like its leader.
A second deputy comes to the rescue of the administration
And I now know that I am not the only citizen left without an answer. It is therefore time to seriously consider possible solutions. Perhaps the arrival of a new administrative assistant will help to ease the burden on the administration, which is undoubtedly short on time. I certainly hope so!
Addresses the mayor to get an answer
In such a context, it seems that the only solution is to contact the mayor. Which is what I did today. Unfortunately, I realize that citizens have very little leverage to exert pressure on the municipal administration, which I consider to be sovereign (accountable to no one).
And if I get no response from either the general management or the mayor, am I, as a citizen, trapped in my own municipality?
Municipal transparency has no enforcement mechanism
In reality, I observe that:
Citizens have rights, but no means to exercise them.
- The municipality has obligations, but no consequences.
- The CMQ only intervenes in extreme cases.
- Delays become cultural: “We publish when we can.”
Are we not caught in a vicious democratic circle?
On that note, long live citizen participation!
