Most of us likely had a mentor at one time or another.
Years ago a very accomplished businessman took on that role and used to impart advice on a host of subjects, ranging from finance to ethics.
The one takeaway that stuck more than any other was the notion that little is learned past 11 at night. For a young farm kid drawn to the lights of the city at night, it was good advice. Boy, was he right – back then and all these years later.
We thought of that story as our reporter recounted yet another late night gathering at the Town of Erin. By way of comparison, most councils are able to handle a lengthy agenda in three hours or less. This time Erin council stayed until midnight or so.
If it were a rare occurrence it could be blamed on a tough night or difficult issues to resolve. However, long winded meetings and carry-over meetings are commonplace in Erin.
To be fair, this culture of long meetings is not new to Erin, but it has gotten worse this term. It needs to stop for a number of reasons.
Laborious meetings do not always make for good decisions. Input does not always equal output – an accepted point by most of today’s leadership gurus. Successful leaders spend the majority of their time on pressing matters, as opposed to the minutiae that so easily consumes time.
Quality of discussion should be the goal, enabling council to quickly move through routine items and debate points that matter.
It seems to us, part of the problem involves the giving of direction. The more successful councils, in terms of accomplishing tasks, will make a decision and stick to it. This allows the whole organization to move forward.
Revisiting items, unless a fatal flaw in a decision is discovered, is a recipe for inaction and frustration.
Another practice that draws the ire of an interested public is the ascension into closed session for long stretches during regular council meetings. Beginning a council meeting only to close it off to public access a few minutes later is very unfair to attendees.
Again, if it were a one-off or a result of a pressing issue, some slack could be given, but this happens often enough to be viewed as a problem desperately in need of fixing in Erin, where council routinely leaves its public attendees waiting.
If in fact those closed sessions are required, council might want to convene their meetings earlier and deal with closed session items prior to the public portion of the agenda. This way, at least, the public would not be as inconvenienced or treated as shabbily as it has been.
Perhaps the experience of our reporter best demonstrates why meetings need to change in Erin. Along with sitting through the meeting, and waiting until council resumes in open session, it takes time to write up the reports.
Two or three hours wasted waiting for council to return to open session cut short our reporter’s available time last week to get stories written – not only for Erin, but for other municipal councils attended that week.
Although the effect on our News-gathering efforts is part of the hazards of our trade, that example illustrates what it must be like for residents and staff.
Ratepayers have other things to do during their busy work week. Taking time out to attend a meeting or participate in an issue should not be hard or cumbersome. Being forced to wait during a closed session, or having a meeting drag on does little to engender good relations.
As for staff, taking an inordinate amount of time, failing to provide clear direction or, worse yet, changing the essence of original direction at a subsequent meeting, can be quite demoralizing.
All we are suggesting is it’s time to change the way meetings unfold in Erin. Let’s speed it up and get something done.
