City Council looking to re-introduce Community Issues Committee

Lethbridge City Council’s committee meeting and governance structure could be changing when 2026 begins.

Council on Tuesday voted 7-2 in favour of an Official Business Motion co-sponsored by Councillors Al Beeber, Rajko Dodic and Ryan Parker, along with Mayor Blaine Hyggen, to potentially dissolve its Standing Policy Committee (SPC) Governance Model.

The proposed changes will require approval of amendments to the Procedure Bylaw. This item is anticipated to return at the January 20, 2026, City Council meeting.

In the proposal, the Community Issues Committee (CIC) would replace the SPCs. The primary intent is designed to provide focused oversight, policy review and recommendations, along with further transparency and more public participation. The SPC Governance Model, which has been in place since 2021, has each SPC composed of four voting members of Council. The only exception is the Economic and Finance SPC, which includes all nine Council members.

“The primary intent of this proposed change to our governance structure to ensure all members of Council receive the same information concurrently and can participate meaningfully in a focused, issue-driven environment,” says Councillor Parker. “The CIC is also intended to provide enhanced opportunities for community participation, with better opportunities for our residents, stakeholders, and organizations to bring forward perspectives, information and concerns during focused discussions on issues of community interest.”

“Even though all members of Council can attend and participate in discussion at the SPCs, we feel that the restricted-voting structure limited full Council involvement in shaping policy and responding to community priorities,” says Mayor Hyggen. “The CIC would allow all members of Council to participate fully in discussions, as well as engage directly with Administration and review matters of community importance in a transparent and collaborative setting.”

“This would be a positive step forward for Council and the community,” says Beeber. “I continue hearing from various community board members about how they feel SPCs are actually a roadblock to them getting Council’s ear.”

Section 145 of the Municipal Government Act authorizes Council to establish and disband Council committees by resolution.  

Tuesday’s motion directs Administration to develop and present a comprehensive governance framework for CIC operations, including:

• Amending the Procedure Bylaw
• Mandates, roles and scopes of responsibility for CIC
• Procedures supporting full Council participation and administrative support
• Meeting procedures, public participation guidelines, reporting requirements and transparency standards
• Processes for receiving, scheduling and managing public input during CIC meetings
• Any required amendments to Council policies or bylaws necessary to implement this structural change
• Updating all official records, schedules, bylaws, and public-facing materials to reflect the dissolution of SPCs (excluding the Audit SPC and Economic SPC) and the establishment of CIC

“The Agenda Review Committee would recommend which issues and topics are to be referred to a Community Issues Committee, ensuring matters brought forward are appropriate for full Council and community-engaged discussion,” says Mayor Hyggen.

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