Council clarifies meeting location as per MGA

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Vauxhall Advance

By Nikki Jamieson
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A couple of motions for legislative requirements were passed at a recent Vauxhall council meeting.

The request for decision item was an addition to the agenda of council’s regular March 3 meeting. Mindy Dunphy, assistant CAO and office manager for the town, said that some issues came to light following a recent municipal review. The first, was when council had their organizational meeting back in October 2024, when they made a motion setting council dates, they didn’t include the location. 

The motion in question was “to hold the Regular Meetings of Council on the first and third Monday of every month at 6:00pm. December, July and August will be one meeting held on the third Monday of the month. If the date falls on a Statutory holiday the meeting will be held on Tuesday immediately following the holiday until the next Organizational Meeting of Council in 2025.”

“We never added that we would be meeting at town council chambers, I guess that is something that has to be added in for it,” said Dunphy.

According to section 193(1) of the Municipal Government Act, “A council may decide at a council meeting at which all the councillors are present to hold regularly scheduled council meetings on specified dates, times and places.” As such, a motion is needed to set the location of the regular town council meetings.

Additionally, for the Chinook Regional Subdivision Appeal Board, Dunphy said that Mayor Kim Cawley is the appointee with coun. Kimberly Dorin as the alternate. However, with Cawley having taken a refresher course, they have met their needed requirements for that committee, and they do not need two people. However, they did need need a motion to remove Dorin from the committee.

Council passed separate motions hold the Regular Meetings of Council at the Administrative Office Council Chambers until next Organizational Meeting of Council in 2025, and to remove Councillor Dorin as alternate to the Chinook Intermunicipal Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.