Types of Council Meetings

City of White Rock Council Chambers

Learn more about the various types of meeting which Council members attend for the purpose of conducting City business. The following information is supplied from the Government of British Columbia’s website.


Council Meeting Types

Council meetings are public gatherings where locally elected officials make decisions or move toward making decisions. Transparency and fairness of meetings and the decision-making process of elected officials are central to the principles of accountable government.

To uphold these principles, provincial rules and the Council Procedure Bylaw govern how meetings are administered. Under certain circumstances, the Council may close a meeting or part of a meeting by passing a resolution that sets out the basis for the closure.

The most common types of meetings that White Rock City Council members attend are:

  • Regular Meetings
  • Special Meetings
  • Closed Meetings

Regular Meetings

Council is required to hold regular meetings, all of which are open to the public. A Notice of Regular Meetings is made available to the public by way of a posted schedule which provides advance notice of the meeting dates, times and locations.

Regular meetings are typically held every two weeks and serve as the main forum for making decisions concerning City business.

Special Meetings

A special meeting is typically used to address urgent business or consider key matters facing the Council.

These meetings require public notice and can be called by the Mayor, the Mayor upon request of two or more members of Council or two or more members of Council under specified circumstances. The Community Charter, Section 126, outlines the process of calling a special meeting.

Closed Meetings

Meetings of this type are closed to the public and are conducted in accordance with the procedural requirements outlined in the Community Charter. The rationale for holding a closed meeting is determined by specific circumstances, for example, discussion of a legal, land or human resources matter.

In light of the public not having access to these meetings, the City takes steps, when appropriate to release Council decisions to the community once the matter can be made public. View Information Released from Closed Meetings and FAQs.


Council Voting Records Dashboard

The public can now see and track Council voting records at a click of a mouse with the introduction of the interactive Council Voting Dashboard.

The dashboard shows how members of council voted on a particular motion and gives the public more tools to access and analyze information about decisions that impact them. 

 
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