At the first meeting of the Rosedale Municipal Council after the recent elections, CAO Kara Sylvester invited Joe Masi, former executive director of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, to address both new and returning councillors about becoming effective members of Council.

One of the big things discussed was the distinction between the role of Council and the role of the administration. Brought back to its very basics, the Council makes policy and the administration implements the policy. Of course, the relationship has more complexity than that, and the CAO particularly has a lot more back and forth with Council members, but remembering that fundamental relationship can avoid a lot of problems in the future.

Governance is the main role of the Council, and Masi has the councillors dig in to what that really means. Elected officials have the obligation to work on behalf of all of their constituents, and make the best informed decisions they can. That often means taking the opportunity to gather more information and not make snap decisions, regardless of any public pressures. Effective councils, says Masi, can and should disagree when necessary, but respectfully. Debate should be constrained to Council members in the chamber, and neither bring staff into it nor bring the debate out into the community.

In the past couple of years the province has run into multiple instances where a municipality has struggled with issues of respect, fiscal responsibility, or conflict of interest. Masi runs through a list of common pitfalls for Councils, which includes lack of focus on the big picture, listening only to select voices, and making decisions without seeking advice. He also says that Councils should be aware of not misusing confidentiality; Council should go in camera for issues of personnel, legal issues, and sometimes economic development topics, but in general decisions should be made in public.

One of the other pitfalls Masi identifies as lack of orientation, but in addressing these questions and issues right from their first meeting, Rosedale seems to be off to a good start.