BARRHEAD - The next time the Town of Barrhead hosts a public hearing, the municipality will have to make arrangements to make it accessible to the public via remote methods.
On April 22, councillors unanimously approved a new Procedural Bylaw (04-2025) in three straight readings. As part of its passing, the previous procedural bylaw, enacted in 2014, was automatically rescinded.
Corporate services director Jennifer Mantay said the new bylaw was needed after the province passed Bill 20 into legislation.
"The bill introduced changes to the [Municipal Government Act or MGA] requiring municipalities to offer digital options for public hearings, specifically when dealing with planning and development matters," she said.
It should be noted that the agenda package identifies that "digital offerings" can include online options as well as telephone.
Mantay added that the bylaw also identifies when the municipality can conduct a council or committee electronically, the methods of identifying council and committee members in attendance, and how meetings, including public hearings, should be conducted.
Mantay added that the municipality received advice from its lawyers on the required terminology and wording.
Bill 20, Municipal Affairs Statutes Act, received royal assent in May, and changes coming into effect at the end of October have received its fair share of controversy. In addition to requiring municipalities to take extra steps during certain public hearings, the act allows the provincial government to initiate ousting locally elected officials by ordering a recall vote and overturning bylaws that go against provincial policy, allows for local political parties and slates on the ballot beginning in 2025 for Calgary and Edmonton. The legislation also allows unions and corporations to donate a maximum of $5,000. Similarly, Bill 20 allows third-party advertisers to campaign for or against a ballot issue or plebiscite, with campaign spending limits capped at $5,000, starting on May 1 of an election year.
ABMunis, an advocacy group that works to lobby the provincial and federal government on issues concerning its members (summer villages, villages, towns, cities, and other specialized municipalities), has spoken out against the legislation, calling the bill a power grab and unfair and costly.
The Town of Barrhead council also voiced their concerns about the legislation at its May 14 meeting.
Councillors Rod Klumph and Dave Sawatzky related their concerns about the party system's impact on municipal politics and worried the province might consider it for smaller communities.
"Edmonton and Calgary are going to be the starting point, but it is a short step until it gets introduced to other municipalities," Klumph said.
Sawatzky added his concern about the United Conservative Party politicizing municipal government by introducing political parties.
"The fact that they are trying to politicize the two metro-centres in our province and bring U.S.-style politics up here because they don't like the two governments elected in [Calgary and Edmonton] scares me because this is just another underhanded move by this provincial government to take away the rights of municipalities in doing business. We can't apply for funding from the federal government anymore. It is just going to continue. They want control of everything."
Coun. Don Smith called the introduction of Bill 20 hypocritical.
"[Premier Danielle Smith] told the prime minister to stay in your lane, and she is doing the same thing to us now, telling us how to run our municipalities," he said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
