Village council is exploring the possibility of holding a team building session to improve relationships on council.
The proposed team building session with Helios Group was recommended by councillor John Illes last month. Subsequently, council directed staff to bring back a report on such a session including associated costs.
According to the staff report, costs associated with the team building exercise would be approximately $5800.
However, this wouldn’t be council’s first team building exercise. A similar team building session was held last September at a cost of $8000.
When asked why council was considering a second team building exercise, Sheryl Worthing, Chief Administrative Officer for the Village of Burns Lake, said this session was being considered “given the changes to council after the by-election.”
Councillor Michael Riis-Christianson and Mayor Chris Beach - both elected in the village’s by-election last December - were sworn in earlier this month.
“We’ve got two years left in the term, and we’re going to have some major challenges,” said Mayor Beach during the Jan. 11, 2017 council inaugural meeting. “This [team building session] might be a worthwhile thing to do to ensure we are all on the same page.”
Helios Group has worked with council for the past several years on their organizational review and strategic planning. Although the organization calls it a ‘team building session,’ Helios Group would hold one-on-one meetings with council members.
“Sessions would be set up over two days by holding one-on-one meetings with each council member, followed by one hour-long session with the group to discuss factors that make an effective council,” says the staff report. “Helios Group requires commitment from each councillor to participate in the team building session.”
According to Worthing, council read the staff report, but made no decisions.
“There will be no further discussion,” said Worthing. “They [council] received the report and took no further action.”
“Unless council requests it to be reconsidered, this will not be brought back at the next meeting,” she added.