Notice of Proposed Changes to
Council Procedure Bylaw No. 4740, 2020

Oak Bay Council is considering changing its “Council Procedure Bylaw”. That’s the bylaw that governs how Council’s meetings are managed. What are they thinking about changing? Great question! As our most important stakeholder, it’s important that you know what is changing and we would love to hear your thoughts on those changes.

The key focus of the amendment is earlier meeting start times and more opportunities for the public to participate in those meetings. Here is a short summary:

• Change the scheduled start time for Regular Council and Committee of the Whole meetings from 7:00PM to 6:00PM – this allows Council, staff and the public to participate in those meetings at an earlier hour when human minds tend to be fresher.
• Schedule Regular In-Camera (Closed) meetings for 5:15PM on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each Month except August, December, and the month of a General Local Election. A regular schedule published in advance gives participants the notice they need to ensure availability for meetings and improves transparency to the public regarding the scheduling of closed meetings.
• Increase Public Input at Council’s meetings by adding a 30-minute input opportunity at every Regular Council meeting. Hearing from you, the stakeholder, is important to Council. This change increases public input opportunities at Council and Committee of the Whole meetings by 67%.

WHEN? Council will consider adopting “Council Procedure Amendment Bylaw No. 4740.001, 2022” at the Regular Council meeting scheduled for February 14, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. which could bring these changes into effect.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? If you wish to view the Bylaw, visit the public notices section of the District’s website at https://www.oakbay.ca/public-notices. You can also view the full Council Procedure Bylaw No. 4740 here: https://www.oakbay.ca/municipal-hall/bylaws-and-policies or email us and we will send you copies?

PROVIDE YOUR THOUGHTS? Members of the public are encouraged to submit comments by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting (Monday, February 14, 2022) by:

• Email: administration@oakbay.ca
• Mail: Oak Bay Council, 2167 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC, V8R 1G2
• Drop Box: Main door, Oak Bay Municipal Hall, 2167 Oak Bay Ave

All correspondence submitted will form part of the public record and may be published in a meeting agenda accompanying the bylaw for consideration.

WATCH THE MEETING: Due to the Pandemic, in person attendance will be limited. Please reach out to administration@oakbay.ca if you wish to attend in person.

Members of the public may view the meeting from home via the live webcast from the District’s website at https://oakbay.civicweb.net/portal/ or by participating in the meeting on Zoom or on your phone. Please email administration@oakbay.ca for instructions to join via Zoom or phone. This information will also be included on the front page of the February 14, 2022 Agenda and on the screen during the livestream.

Selina Williams, Director of Corporate Services