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Sidney looks at earlier council meetings

If approved, change would see Sidney council meet at 6 p.m.
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Almost 80 per cent of respondents favour an earlier starting for regular council meetings in Sidney. (Black Press File)

A survey suggests Sidney residents want their elected officials to meet earlier.

Just over 78 per cent of respondents said they would favour moving the starting time of regular council meetings to 6 p.m. Regular council meetings have been starting at 7 p.m. since moving from 7:30 p.m. in 2009. Sidney had launched the survey July 23. It closed Aug. 30, generating 23 responses, with five opposed to the change.

Sandi Nelson, corporate officer with the Town of Sidney, said the change would make regular council meetings consistent with committee-of-the-whole meetings, which have been starting at 6 p.m. since changing in 2013.

The change would require amendments to Sidney’s council procedure bylaw. If approved following public notice, the change would be effective sometime in November.

North Saanich and Central Saanich councils currently meet at 7 p.m. for both regular and committee-of-the-whole meetings on alternating Mondays.

The City of Victoria, meanwhile, holds committee-of-the-whole meetings on the first four Thursdays of each month at 9 a.m. with regular council meetings scheduled for the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

RELATED: Saanich councillor wants to limit length of council meetings

Sidney is not only community in Greater Victoria contemplating changes to their respective council procedure bylaws. Saanich staff are currently reviewing calls to end all types of council meetings end by 10 p.m., unless extended by councillors themselves.


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wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreviews.com



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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