For many of the new councillors, improving public engagement with Calgarians is a question of trust.

It was a recurring issue among the last Calgary city council, as they grappled with historically low satisfaction survey numbers on trust in councillors and city administration.

Planning and development issues, whether it was the debate over citywide rezoning, the introduction of Local Area Plans, or large-scale developments like those at Glenmore Landing, are where citizens expressed that they most often felt unheard.

That ultimately led to the commission of a third-party review of public engagement in Calgary. The firm KPMG began talking with Calgarians this past summer.

The City of Calgary’s Engage Process is a six-step progression that starts with determining if engagement in a project is even necessary. Step two and three determine who will be consulted and what will be asked, including what parts are not open to input.

“Where appropriate and within the City’s ability to finance and resource, the City commits to conduct transparent and inclusive engagement processes that are responsive and accountable,” reads the Engage Policy statement.

LWC surveyed candidates during the recent municipal election on what they would do to improve public engagement in the City.  

Rebuilding trust was among the most common phrases used, and many of the 10 responses LWC received from successful candidates said that citizen engagement must start before a significant project begins – not partway through, or even after most decisions have been made.

“Public engagement undertaken by the City needs to move earlier in the process,” wrote Ward 4 Coun.  DJ Kelly

“Far too often it feels like they ask if we would like something to be red or blue when neighbours haven’t been asked if they would like it in the first place.”

Mayor Jeromy Farkas concurred.

“Calgarians deserve to be heard before, not after, City Hall makes big decisions.  I’ll rebuild trust by ending performative consultations and replacing them with real dialogue,” he said.

“I’ll also mandate early consultation on major planning files, so residents help shape projects from the start, not just react to them.”

Councillor engagement with citizens

Some of the incoming council candidates felt an important part of improving Calgary’s public engagement began with them.

Ward 11’s Rob Ward said he wanted to meet with residents regularly – not just during election season.

“That means quarterly town halls, community meetings, and timely responses to residents,” he said.  

“I’ll ensure meaningful consultation before major decisions like rezoning, with clear explanations of how feedback shaped outcomes.”

Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopolous said that he’s committed to improving the direct engagement citizens have with city projects.

“I believe in real conversations. I’ve held in-person town halls during this campaign and would continue them as councillor — not afraid of tough questions,” he said.

“Engagement should be simple, accessible, and honest, with clear links between feedback and decisions.”

Coun. Mike Jamieson in Ward 12 also said he’d meet monthly with citizens, regularly polling them and following what their wishes are. He noted the engagement on citywide rezoning and the opposition, yet a different decision was made.

“We do not have an engagement problem, but a listening problem,” he said.

While councillors are coming in with their idea of how to change citizen engagement with the City of Calgary, city admin is making changes, too.

Changes to the Procedure Bylaw will now require written, audio or visual submissions by noon eight days before a public hearing meeting on an item.  This is a slight change from seven days before a meeting.

With the chair’s permission, written submissions (slides or notes) were often made just before a meeting (and in many cases just before presentations). Those submissions, however, weren’t necessarily in the agenda record. They were included, however, in the online meeting file once presented. This can still be done.

For Standing Policy Committee meetings, written, audio or visual submissions must be received two days before the meeting. 

According to a City of Calgary news release, submissions that have missed the deadlines will not be accepted or included in the meeting materials by the City Clerk’s Office.

“These changes support greater transparency and more informed public participation, protect the privacy of third parties, protect the information technology infrastructure in the Council Chamber and provide more time for the Public, Council and Administration to review agenda materials and prepare to participate in Public Hearings and Standing Policy Committee meetings,” read a City of Calgary news release.

One concern is last-minute video presentations that require a USB plug-in to the City of Calgary’s IT system, and potential IT security issues it raises, the city said. Inadvertent privacy issues with these videos, along with transmission issues that can hamper a public hearing meeting, are also a potential challenges they’re hoping to avoid.