Rookies prep for Councillor 101

The school for new city councillors is now in session.

The election last week ushered in nine new councillors, the highest turnover since 1992, who will receive an enhanced training program to help them adjust.

While the 17 council information sessions, which are to take place over six weeks, should help ease the pressure of a steep learning curve, Mayor Scott Gillingham was not wrong to describe taking in the surge of new information as like trying to drink from a fire hose, one new councillor said.

“It’s been pretty intense … It’s all moving very quickly. I think most of us expected that, but I think the formality of it gives more structure to the learning,” said Lora Meseman, who represents Transcona.

The rookie said being offered time to ask questions as a group has been especially helpful.

“What’s encouraging to me is the consensus around the table. The questions people are asking are very similar. We all seem to have very similar priorities,” said Meseman.

The department-led sessions are generally scheduled to last one to three hours, during which heads of city departments and their management teams provide overviews and answer questions. Each councillor also receives a detailed orientation package about municipal services and operations, said spokesman David Driedger, in an email.

The orientation process includes briefing notes and one-on-one training with city clerks about meeting procedures, he wrote.

“(The) information sessions give elected officials a chance to meet senior leaders and subject matter experts, build working relationships, learn about city services and operations, and ask questions,” wrote Driedger.

A request to interview a public service official was not granted.

Meseman said training began shortly after new councillors were sworn in, with multiple information sessions scheduled for Monday.

“I’m just really impressed with the amount of information that they’re providing for us and how organized it is. I think that’s better than us trying to dig through and figure it out ourselves,” said Meseman.

Janice Lukes, the former councillor for Waverley West who championed the expanded training during the last council term, said an expanded online portal will help new councillors get up to speed on demanding roles.

“It’ll be robust. Everything in life prepares you for this role but nothing prepares you for this role. You could be talking about 300 different things in one day,” she said.

Lukes, who did not seek re-election last week, said some department information sessions were in place when she became a councillor in 2014, but the new process should provide much more information.

“The key ways in which it’s better is we have a living, updated … portal on the website that would be best (called) Councillor 101 … I think when I started in 2014, we had a two-hour overview on property, planning and development and I barely knew what zoning was. When I look back, it’s terrifying,” she said.

Lukes said she still expects the transition to be challenging.

“There’s a lot of information and you have to make good decisions, based on the information. It’s a very fast pace,” she said.

Since the sessions are open to new and existing councillors, experienced elected officials can join in.

Jeff Browaty, council’s longest-serving member, said he’s participating in some sessions to ensure he has the latest information on each department’s priorities.

“Besides the budget process, normally when you do need to contact departments, it’s because there’s a concern or issues. This is a better way to proactively understand (their goals),” said Browaty (North Kildonan), who was first elected in 2006.

He joined some sessions this week and plans to attend any future ones on Winnipeg Transit, zoning bylaws or homelessness.

He said new councillors would benefit from receiving more information about campus security, the city’s housing goals and Winnipeg’s master plan to reduce combined-sewer overflows, as well as tips on how to read city reports, before casting important votes.

“It’s learning the language of city hall so that when you get an administrative report for one of your committees, you’ll have a better idea of what’s what,” said Browaty.

City council’s next meeting, Tuesday, will see councillors appointed to city committees, boards and commissions. The mayor selected the leaders of each standing policy committee, who are also members of his executive policy committee, on Wednesday.

joyanne.pursaga@winnipegfreepress.com

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