Winnipeg makes city council records more accessible, readable

Winnipeg city council's records are being made more accessible to the public.

A new online dashboard has been created with a format that makes council information more readable and searchable. It includes all agenda items, reports, motions, recorded votes and even attendance (of both council members and public delegates).

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The dashboard — created by Open Democracy Manitoba, a community organization that builds online election resources — provides increased transparency and accountability for decision-making, said Mayor Brian Bowman, who campaigned on making city hall more open.

"This small, smart change, with the support of the city clerk's department, makes information access easier for community groups, media and aggregators of social media, such as Open Democracy Manitoba, to analyze city data and share it with the public in innovative ways," he said.

Kyle Geske, a founding member of Open Democracy Manitoba, said the dashboard is "a place where citizens can quickly learn about the decisions being made at city hall that affect their everyday lives."

Bowman will also present a motion at the executive policy committee meeting on Sept. 16, asking city administration to review all other opportunities to share information — including more accessible 311 statistics and CrimeStat data — while maintaining security and privacy requirements where necessary.

Administration is required to report back to executive policy committee within 90 days.