COUNCIL WALL MEET EVERY THREE WEEKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 175, 14 October 1927, Page 16

COUNCIL WALL MEET EVERY THREE WEEKS

NEW POLICY ADOPTED

lit. Yf rULHeI AL'Ur ILU The amount of City Council business that comes before that body in open council, and is therefore available to tho public and the Press, will be further restricted by a decision reached by the council last evening. As a result of a report from the town clerk on the procedure in other cities and countri.es, the council decided that, after February next, the council will meet every three weeks, and the standing committees will be given power to finally deal with all routine questions. To obviate the committees being able to make decisions affecting the general council policy, the Mayor and the town clerk will decide what questions are to go before the council, and which before the committees. The new step is with the idea of relieving the pressure on the staff. The town clerk pointed out that the council meeting was no sooner over than the committees were meeting again, and before the staff had had time to deal with the business of the last meeting the next was upon them. The new system will give a week for disposing of old business, a week for committee meetings, and a week for preparation of business for the following meeting. In his report, the town clerk pointed out that it was exceptional for the recommendation of a committee to be disagreed with, and the committees were competent to exercise extended authority. Councillor A. J. Stallworthy considered that there were alternatives. There was already talk of the amount of business being done in committee, and he thought a general revision might offer a better solution. Councillor S. I. Crookes considered that the routine business being disposed of by the committees would give relief to the order paper, and allow more discussion of policy questions. The report; was adopted.