GILBERT — An ordinance requiring elected officials to participate in formal training is set to be introduced in Gilbert this month.
Councilor Paul Skrbec floated the idea in July and brought ideas to the council last week, including necessary sessions in open meeting laws and the role of government.
Training would be provided through the League of Greater Minnesota Cities (LGMC), in which Gilbert has a membership.
“We want to have some fairly high standards,” Skrbec said. “This is a serious job and we make serious decisions.”
At least a majority of the council seemed to support the concept. Mayor Karl Oberstar Jr. said he wanted to make sure it wasn’t pushed onto council members, but still make it a part of onboarding.
Councilor Ryan Redepenning said he wasn’t aware of the courses — both in-person and online — through the LGMC, and thought it would be a resource for councilors to also learn on their own
“I’m in favor of this,” he said. “We need courses we want them to know that are relevant to the position.”
The only pushback came from Councilor Bob Pontinen, who questioned if the training would deter people from running for council seats.
Skrbec said he recognized the challenge of recruiting members for elected office, but formal training would improve the board as a whole. Especially, he added, when big decisions are necessary.
“That’s why people don’t want to do this,” Pontinen said, noting there’s no pay incentive. “If someone is on the fence … this might make them fall off the fence.”
Skrbec said city ordinances and codes allow for councilors and staff to attend training, with guidelines for travel and hotels, so it’s not out of pocket.
As currently considered, he added, councilors would have six months to complete the minimal training sessions. If they don’t, a vote could still be available, but councilors could lose committee seats if that’s the direction the council decides.
“It might be nice to have some training,” said Interim City Clerk Lynn Lorey. “Some of those people on the fence, not knowing what the role is, could get pushed the other way.”
Skrbec plans to introduce the ordinance at the Aug. 12 meeting, which was moved from Aug. 11 to avoid conflict with the primary election.
Accessing the Gilbert City Council
Gilbert City Council agendas and minutes can generally be found on the city’s website. Recordings of the meetings can be found through Mesabi Community TV’s Vimeo account. Editor’s note: Gilbert’s current interim clerk situation has caused a lag in agendas being posted. Agendas should be available at city hall prior to meetings.
