New Westminster city council is taking an April meeting on the road to Queensborough — with the legislative services department absorbing the added cost into its annual operating budget.
At its Feb. 24 meeting council, supported a staff recommendation to hold its April 7 meeting at the Queensborough Community Centre. That will be in addition to the meeting council holds in Queensborough in the fall.
According to a staff report, the cost of holding a second meeting in Queensborough is about $10,000, which is attributed to contracted audio and visual services.
In November, council approved a motion from Coun. Tasha Henderson to have staff report back on the costs and logistical needs of holding an additional regular council meeting in Queensborough. Since 2013, council has held one meeting in Queensborough each year.
“I think it's really important to be transparent about the complications and costs,” Henderson said. “It is a significant cost. … I was surprised at the $10,000 amount. But having said that said, I think it's a worthy investment; it's one that I'm willing to support, for accessibility, for folks to reach us.”
The staff report explained that the audio and visual system in council chamber is complex and has a number of features that cannot be easily duplicated when hosting meetings outside city hall.
“Microphones, video cameras, as well as monitors to display various feeds are all brought in by the contractor to facilitate meeting proceedings, including hybrid technologies to allow for a livestream of the meeting and virtual participation by council members and the public,” said the report. “Although these features support the successful conduct of meetings, their absence may be minor in nature given that council meetings outside the council chamber are not frequent.”
Staff noted that they would have to report back with a more permanent solution if council wants to see additional meetings held offsite.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy moved an amendment to the staff recommendation, which was unanimously supported by council. It states that efforts be undertaken to ensure full accessibility at all council meetings outside of New Westminster City Hall.
“We're not perfect, but there's quite a bit that happens at the city to ensure accessibility to those meetings, both for city councillors and for members of the public,” he said. “But we've tended to see meetings in Queensborough, or anywhere else for that matter, as kind of ad hoc. And I think that given the directions that we're heading in the city in terms of equity, I think we actually should put more thought in planning, into ensuring that any meeting offsite, has at least the same kind of provisions for accessibility as a meeting onsite does.”
