Breaking the ice and charting a path forward: building council relationships for a new term and a city's bright future

By: Rob Axiak, director of community services

How do you get new council members comfortably acquainted with the existing majority before a new four-year term? You take them on a bus tour around the city, arrange a spirited evening of speed dating, and share pleasantries on the more social side of things, of course. 

Seriously. This isn't the punchline to a joke. It's exactly what we did.

Long before electors cast a vote in the 2022 municipal election, staff began discussing and designing a workshop series that would benefit new council members and deliver valuable information sessions for returning councillors, some elected for their third or fourth terms. 

Welland's Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) draws from more than 100 years of cumulative municipal experience, serving Councils in municipalities across Ontario and the country in various areas such as governance, planning, recreation, infrastructure, communications, and emergency services. Through this abundance of experience, staff collectively developed a practical and useable workshop series to set the tone and plot the path forward for Council's next term. The last thing we wanted to do was create the perception that staff was dictating process, procedure, or protocol.  

So, how'd we do it? First, we organized the workshops into three distinct and digestible themes to keep important information manageable. 

Workshop 1: From Countryside to Cityscape: a bus tour

Objective: An opportunity for council members to travel around the city to look at various areas of interest. The CAO and members of CLT were available to answer questions through informal discussion.

The City of Welland is experiencing unprecedented growth – in the next 20 years; we'll add nearly 50,000 new residents. As a result, Council's next term has countless decisions awaiting them, many regarding land development and its residential and industrial uses. These significant decisions will forever shape Welland's character and how it will function in the future. Certain developments possess a catchy moniker to refer to when conversing with the public (Northern Reach, for example), but there's a good chance many Councillors haven't seen the actual sites. Enter our bus tour. As we traversed the city on public transit, casual dialogue and pointed questions ebbed and flowed from Council to staff. Both sides observed the future and the promise future days hold.

What did Council say: 

"This was a great way to begin orientation and onboarding for our next four years together."

Sharmila Seteram, first-time councillor

Workshop 2: The 411 on the DYK: meeting city staff

Objective: An opportunity for council members to get to know department heads and their management teams, learn about each department, and have a chance to ask questions and provide insights and interests. Department teams were stationed around the room to facilitate informal conversations with council members and review pre-made materials the Councillors could take with them.

Mimicking a speed dating scenario, councillors made their way around the room, stopping and chatting with various departments, from recreation to communications, human resources to planning. And it wasn't just Council who asked questions. Staff enthusiastically collaborated with the councillors on ideas and initiatives that could grow and takeoff in the coming years, determining how to work together and create successful outcomes.

Not only are there new faces on Council, but among staff as well. Even for returning Councillors, the pandemic paused in-person meetings, gatherings, and other opportunities to connect personally with staff. During the pandemic, the City of Welland welcomed several new members to CLT and its management teams. 

Having a social gathering after the workshop, where staff and Council gathered more as people than titles, guards were lowered, and conversation flowed freely.

What did Council say:

"Great concept and it was very successful. Thank you for doing this and investing time, and finding new ways to connect and learn."

MaryAnn Grimaldi, returning councillor

Workshop 3: One Team, One Welland: building the future, together  

Objective: An opportunity for council members to receive critical information, provide their insights, and consider examples of municipal government from the Mayor, CAO, City Clerk, and a guest keynote speaker – John Mascarin. This workshop was about developing a deeper understanding of a city council's role and addressing clarification questions.

A council's strength and authority come from the Council as a whole. The power they have in governing the municipality resides in the Council itself and not as individuals. That's what this workshop was all about.

But let's cast aside any rose-coloured illusions and face reality – it wasn't always a smooth conversation, and it wasn't a group of 13 singing in perfect harmony. But here's the thing: that's good. Yes, a consensus is what we strive for; it's what a council is designed to reach. But consensus doesn't mean unanimous, and getting to that consensus should be something other than a rubber stamp of acquiescence. Instead, it should involve thoughtful discussion, and at times vigorous debate, to settle on solutions and decisions that don't just reflect the interests of the few, or of a specific ward, but those of the entire community, reaching all four corners of the municipality. 

At times, vigorous debate can take a sideways turn, leading Councillors into uncertain territory. And when this happens, it's often due to confusion, misunderstanding, or the need for clarity about procedure or authority. That's where workshop three came in. The core of this workshop was Council receiving the opportunity to address the procedural bylaw, make suggestions about how it can be updated and more clearly stated, and ask clarifying questions to smooth out the process. On top of that, and where this workshop delivered its resounding value, they had the chance to ask those questions to the foremost expert on the Municipal Act, John Mascarin, our keynote speaker for the evening.

Oh, and by the way, every member of Council was at workshop three. So that's a pretty good start.

What did Council say:

"I found it educational, and I've done this eight times."

Frank Campion, returning mayor

Adjourning

What these workshops will ultimately yield remains to be seen. However, where we stand on days one, two, three, and all the other days that will fondly be referred to as the early days in the not-so-distant future is the very foundation on which we will move forward and draw our success. 

Will we look back and confer this effort as a rousing success or a colossal failure? I do not believe it will be the latter. But to achieve success, we must continue the momentum and work as one team, one Welland. If we can do that, our municipality will reap the immediate and long-lasting benefits. 

Let's get to work.