#transparency
🚪 Council Goes Behind Closed Doors
Should your city council be allowed to discuss land deals in secret? Tonight's meeting will move to a closed, in-camera session to discuss potential land acquisition, disposition, or expropriation matters that could affect our community.
🔒 In-camera meetings are legally permitted under the Community Charter
🏛️ Council can close meetings when disclosure could harm municipal interests
⚖️ Section 90(1)(e) covers land acquisition, disposition or expropriation matters
📋 Protects the municipality's position in potential land negotiations
🔓 Some in-camera matters can be declassified and made public later
🏠 Land acquisition - purchasing property for municipal needs
💰 Land disposition - selling or transferring city-owned property
🚧 Expropriation - taking property for public use with compensation
🏢 Land improvements - modifications or developments on properties
🤝 Strategic negotiations that could be harmed by public disclosure
Meeting: Monday, October 20, 2025 - immediately following the Public Hearing at Rossland Council Chambers (1920 Third Avenue)
What happens next: Some in-camera matters can be declassified and made public through future council meetings and municipal reports.
🔍 Who's Checking Rossland's Books?
Council is considering awarding a 2025-2027 annual financial audit services contract to MNP LLP. This decision affects how the city's financial records will be professionally reviewed.
📋 Council must award a financial statement audit services contract
📅 Contract covers annual services for 2025-2027
🏢 MNP LLP has been recommended for the contract
📜 Contract involves financial statement audit services
📁 Decision requires Council approval at this meeting
🏢 MNP LLP selected as audit firm
📅 Contract covers 2025-2027 financial years
💼 Will provide annual financial statement audit services
📈 Professional auditing services for the city
⚖️ Requires formal Council approval to proceed
What questions do you have about the city's financial audit process?
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Council Meeting: Monday, October 20, 2025 at Rossland Council Chambers (1920 Third Avenue).
Your Voice: Attend the meeting to learn more about this financial audit contract decision.
How's Your Tax Money Being Spent? 📊
The City's Q3 budget report reveals where your tax dollars went in the first nine months of 2025 - and whether departments stayed on track with their spending plans.
💰 Q3 budget updates typically track spending progress through three-quarters of the fiscal year
📈 Municipal budget reports help residents understand how tax dollars are being managed
🚨 Third-quarter reporting allows time to address any financial challenges before year-end
📋 Budget updates inform council planning for upcoming budget cycles
🔍 Regular financial reporting promotes transparency in municipal operations
📅 Presented at October 20, 2025 Council meeting
📝 Information-only report - no decisions required
💬 Sets foundation for upcoming 2026 budget discussions
How Safe is Our Community Right Now?
The Trail and Greater District RCMP has released their Q3 2025 statistics report, giving residents a transparent look at crime trends, police response times, and community safety efforts in our area.
📊 Q3 2025 quarterly statistics report from Trail and Greater District RCMP
📝 Mayor's report format providing community safety overview
🏛️ Information presented to Council for public transparency
📅 Third quarter data covering July through September 2025
👥 Community policing services and RCMP operations update
The Trail and Greater District RCMP Statistics report for Q3 2025 has been provided to Council as part of the "For Information Only" items, giving the community access to police service data and statistics.
Next Steps: This quarterly report was presented at the October 20, 2025 Council meeting for public transparency. Residents can access full RCMP statistics through the City website and attend future council meetings to stay informed about community safety trends and police services.
Council Going Behind Closed Doors 🚪
Tonight's Rossland Council meeting will pause public viewing to discuss confidential land matters. This closed session is legally required when discussing property deals that could harm the city's negotiating position if made public.
Why the Secrecy is Necessary
🏢 Acquisition - City considering buying land or buildings
💰 Disposition - City considering selling municipal property
⚖️ Expropriation - Forced purchase for public projects
Why the Secrecy is Necessary
🤐 Public discussion could drive up prices or harm negotiations
📋 Community Charter legally requires these discussions be private
What questions do you have about closed Council sessions?
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📅 October 20, 2025 - Council meeting at Rossland Council Chambers (1920 Third Avenue), immediately following Public Hearing
What happens next:
- Council will return to public session after land discussions
- Any decisions made may be announced when legally possible
- Watch for future agenda items related to land transactions
📊 Your City's Q3 Report Card is In
How is Rossland performing on the services and projects you pay for? Council gets a quarterly progress update on everything from infrastructure to community programs. Time to see how your city is doing! 🏛️
📄 Council receives quarterly Corporate Management Plan updates
🗓️ Q3 2025 report presented as information item
🏛️ Municipal transparency through regular reporting
👥 Public can access meeting documents for full details
📅 Part of ongoing municipal accountability process
Council Meeting: Monday, October 20, 2025 at Rossland Council Chambers (1920 Third Avenue) immediately following the Public Hearing.
📄 Full Q3 Corporate Management Plan report available in meeting documents for residents seeking detailed municipal performance information.
🚪 Behind Closed Doors?
Council wants to kick you out of part of Tuesday's meeting 👥➡️🚪
Two sensitive topics will be discussed without public oversight: • Personnel matters (hiring decisions) • Land deals (property acquisitions)
When does protecting privacy cross into secrecy? 🤔
🏛️ Closed sessions are legal under BC's Community Charter
⚖️ Required for sensitive topics that could harm individuals or city interests
🤐 Protects employee privacy during hiring and disciplinary matters
💰 Prevents interference with land negotiations and property deals
📋 Still must follow rules - can't just close meetings whenever they want
👥 Personal information about current or potential city employees
🏠 Land acquisition details that could drive up property prices if public
🔒 Protects individuals from public scrutiny during job processes
💵 Prevents speculation that could cost taxpayers more in land deals
⚠️ You'll miss decisions that could affect your neighborhood
What's the right balance between government transparency and protecting sensitive information? Should residents accept closed-door discussions for personnel and land matters, or do you want more public oversight even if it costs the city money?
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📅 Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM Council Chambers, 310 Ward Street (2nd Floor)
Public portion: 4:30-6:00 PM, then 7:00 PM onwards Closed session: Happens mid-meeting
🗣️ You can still: Attend open portions, ask questions during public time, request follow-up info after decisions are made
When will recreation plans be shared?
🏃♀️ A Rossland resident is asking Council for transparency on when the Recreation Master Plan Implementation Committee will present their progress and recommendations to the public.
🏒 The committee is working on implementing Rossland's recreation master plan
🏊♀️ Their work affects future sports facilities, programs, and recreation services
💰 Implementation decisions will impact recreation budgets and priorities
📅 Residents want to know when they'll see the committee's recommendations
🗣️ Laura Pettit asked the timing question during public input
This was asked at the October 6, 2025 Council meeting. Residents can attend future Council meetings to hear when the Recreation Committee will present, or contact City Hall for updates on the presentation schedule.
Who's Running Rossland? 🏛️
When Mayor steps away, who takes charge? 🤔
Council is voting on a transparent rotation schedule for 2026 - so residents always know exactly who's accountable for city decisions when the mayor is unavailable.
No surprises, no confusion. Just clear democratic leadership! ✨
📋 Monthly rotation system keeps leadership fresh and fair
⚖️ Required by law - Community Charter Section 130
📊 Schedule based on councillors' availability survey
🗳️ November & December left open due to October 2026 election
💰 Zero cost to taxpayers - just better organization
2026 Acting Mayor Schedule
🌲 January: Councillor Weaver
❤️ February: Councillor Humpherys
🌸 March: Councillor Spooner
🌷 April: Councillor Provençal
🌼 May: Councillor Kwiatkowski
2026 Acting Mayor Schedule
☀️ June: Councillor Weaver
🌞 July: Councillor Provençal
🌊 August: Councillor Boyce
🍂 September: Councillor Spooner
🎃 October: Councillor Humpherys
Do you think this rotating Acting Mayor schedule provides good accountability and transparency for Rossland residents?
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Official Votes
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🗺️ What's Next:
Council will vote on this schedule at their next meeting. This administrative decision ensures residents always know who's in charge when needed.
🗣️ Have Questions? Contact City Hall or attend council meetings to learn more about municipal governance.
Bookmark this schedule - you might need to know who's Acting Mayor throughout 2026!
🚪 Council Going Behind Closed Doors
September 15th Council Meeting Alert 🏛️
Council is voting to close part of their meeting to the public for confidential discussions. While sometimes necessary, these "in-camera" sessions limit public oversight of your local government.
The Question: When should your elected officials be allowed to meet without you? 🤔
What Are In-Camera Meetings?
🔒 "In-camera" means council meets privately without public or media
📋 Only allowed for specific reasons outlined in the Community Charter
⚖️ Protects sensitive information that could harm municipal interests if public
What Are In-Camera Meetings?
🕐 Used sparingly - most council business must remain public
📝 General topics discussed are usually announced, but not details
What's Being Discussed Privately
💼 Municipal Service Negotiations - Early-stage talks about providing new town services
⚖️ Legal Matters - Discussions about current or potential litigation involving the municipality
🕰️ Both topics are considered too sensitive for public discussion at this preliminary stage
🏛️ Council believes public knowledge could harm the town's negotiating position
Your Voice on Government Transparency
How do you feel about council holding confidential meetings for service negotiations and legal matters? Should there be stricter limits on in-camera sessions, or do you trust council to use them appropriately?
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Stay Engaged & Informed
📅 September 15, 2025 Regular Council Meeting
How to Stay Involved: • Attend public portion of meetings • Review published council minutes • Ask questions during public comment • Contact councillors about concerns
📋 Note: Council must report general outcomes when appropriate.
Democracy works best when residents stay engaged! 🗳️
Is Your City Transparent Enough? 🏛️
Rossland Council is deciding whether to adopt a $75,000 communications strategy that promises to make city information more timely, accessible, and engaging.
Currently, residents say they struggle to find city information when they need it - even though the information exists. 📱💻
The proposed strategy aims to rebuild trust through better transparency and two-way engagement with residents.
Four-Goal Strategy for Better Communication
🔒 Build Trust Through Transparency - Post 90% of Council decisions within 24 hours, livestream upgrades
💬 Make Engagement Easy - New "Engage Rossland" portal, 48-hour response guarantee to online queries
🏔️ Celebrate Rossland's Identity - Weekly Instagram content, "Local Legends" series, partner with Tourism Rossland
⚙️ Build Internal Capacity - Hire 0.5 FTE Communications Coordinator, staff training, accessibility improvements
The Investment: $75,000 total
- $50K for 0.5 FTE Communications Coordinator
- $25K for tools & equipment
Phased Approach: Part-time coordinator + staff training in plain-language communication.
Expected Results: 25% increase in website visits, 30% boost in social media reach, improved trust from 42% to 50%.
What's most important to you for city communications: faster updates about Council decisions, easier ways to give input on issues, more celebration of local community stories, or better website accessibility?
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Next Steps: 📅 Council will decide on adopting this strategy at their upcoming meeting 💬 Public input welcome before the decision 📧 Email city@rossland.ca with your thoughts 🏛️ Attend Council meetings to stay informed
Implementation: If approved, changes would roll out through 2025-2027 with quarterly progress updates to residents.
💰 Where Did Your Tax Dollars Go?
The City of Rossland spent $501,453 of your tax dollars in August 2025 on municipal services and programs. From youth activities to fire safety, infrastructure upgrades to museum support - your money funded dozens of community initiatives.
🏛️ Council must now approve this monthly spending report as part of our city's financial transparency measures.
💻 $18,211 in computer-printed payments for regular operations
🏦 $203,565 in electronic fund transfers to service providers
💳 $279,678 in EFT payments for major contracts and projects
📊 132 total payments processed with full oversight controls
🔍 Every dollar tracked and requires Council approval for transparency
🎆 $12K Youth Action Network programming (final payment)
🔥 $11K Fire Smart wildfire protection services
🛜 $13K skateboard park upgrades for local youth
🏢 $34K museum revitalization grant work
👥 $33K Age Friendly programming for seniors
🌳 $16K dangerous tree removal for public safety
Why This Matters for Accountability 🔍
This monthly cheque register serves as a crucial transparency tool - giving residents regular insight into city spending beyond just quarterly reports.
✅ Multiple staff review every payment ✅ Council approves all expenditures ✅ Aligns with approved 2025-2029 budget ✅ Follows Community Charter requirements
Do you think the city's spending priorities in August reflected what matters most to Rossland residents? What municipal services or programs would you want to see more investment in?
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📅 Next Steps & How to Engage
Council will vote on approving this spending report at their next meeting. This is your chance to:
• Ask questions about specific expenditures • Provide input on spending priorities • Learn more about the city's financial oversight
🏛️ Attend council meetings to stay informed about how your tax dollars are invested in our community!