by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 12/97) - Secret meetings are no more.

At its first regular meeting, a marathon four-hour affair Monday, Yellowknife' new city council brought an end to the highly criticized closed weekly briefing meetings.

"What we've decided to do is replace the closed briefings with committee of the whole meetings," said Ald. Peggy Near. "At the same time we reserve the right to go in camera during our regular meetings."

The open meetings will be held the same time secret meetings were held, noon Monday at City Hall.

Ironically, the decision to abolish the closed meetings flows from informal discussions among the members of the new council, not from a public meeting.

Ald. Cheryl Best who, along with most challengers during last month's election campaign, vowed to bring more open government to Yellowknife, hailed the change as "a first step toward ensuring more open communication with the citizens of Yellowknife."

The motion to change council's procedural bylaws to provide for the committee of the whole meetings received unanimous approval.

The meetings have been a practice of council for almost a decade. The Yellowknife Property Owners Association two years ago took the city to court in an attempt to end the practice.

The effect Monday's decision will have on that case remains to be determined.

"There's an annual general meeting next Tuesday and a new board of directors will be elected," noted the association's secretary-treasurer, Robin Beaumont. "I don't think the executive will be making any decisions before that time."

Beaumont said the association will be looking for guidance from the public at that meeting, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on the lower level of the legion hall.

Last week the property owners won a legal victory in the case, when the presiding judge ruled former alderman Dick Peplow and city administrator Doug Lagore have to give oral testimony. The city argued written testimony should suffice.

"(The case) doesn't just effect Yellowknife," noted Beaumont. "I know Edmonton ratepayers don't like secret meetings either."

Edmonton's council has come under fire for doing more and more of its business behind closed doors.