Council to discuss controversial bylaw tonight

There's bound to be plenty of discussions tonight at city council as we get the first public look at how councillors view the concept of citizens making presentations to them.

It's called the "City of North Bay Procedural By-Law" and after some debate tonight it's expected to be referred to the General Government Committee for a public meeting under the Municipal Act.

Included are recommendations that:

• will move council and committee meetings to Tuesdays instead of Monday 
• meet every other week, instead of weekly
• all delegates and presenters complete a prescribed form in order to be placed on the agenda and provide a complete copy of their presentation to the Clerk on or before Wednesday the week before the regularly scheduled Council Meeting.
• that there would be a maximum of three delegations and three presentations per meeting
• following the publication of the Agenda any person wishing to be heard on an item or subject listed on the current Council Agenda must submit a written request stating the Agenda item he or she wishes to speak on, to the Clerk, no later than 12 o’clock noon on the day of the Council meeting.
• The Clerk has discretion to schedule Delegations and Presentations.
• Delegations speaking to a matter, item or topic that has been discussed two times at a meeting and they have previously addressed at a Meeting shall not be allowed to address the issue a third time.
• No presenter shall: (i) speak disrespectfully of any person; (ii) use offensive words or unparliamentary language; (iii) speak on any subject other that the subject for which he received approval to address; or (iv) disobey the rules of order or a decision of the Presiding Officer.
• The Presiding Officer may curtail any presenter, any questions of a presenter or debate during a presentation, for disorder or for any other breach of this Procedural Bylaw and, should the Presiding Officer rule that the presentation is concluded, the presenter shall withdraw immediately and shall be given no further audience by the Council.
• Council may, at its discretion, prohibit anyone from making deputations or presentations for a period of time.

See: Your move, Mr. Rennick

And: You're out of order!

The meeting starts this evening at 7 p.m. in council chambers.