Council approves updated 2026 meeting calendar & advances procedural bylaw
Cochrane, AB — Cochrane Town Council approved amendments to the 2026 Council Meeting Calendar and gave First Reading to Procedural Bylaw 01/2026, introducing an updated meeting structure that strengthens governance practices while maintaining Council’s existing workload and responsibilities.
Effective March 2, 2026, regular Council meetings will begin at a consistent 5:30 p.m. Under the revised structure, Council will hold three regular Council meetings per month, where formal decision-making will occur, and one Workshop on the fourth Monday of each month dedicated to focused, in-depth exploration of specific topics. Workshops are working sessions of Council and are not open to the public.
“This updated structure is reducing procedural meeting redundancy, while creating opportunities for Council to engage fully in high level strategic conversations,” said Mayor Nagel. “It ensures that decisions are made clearly and transparently at Regular Council meetings, without having repetitive, unproductive meeting agendas.”
The updated model maintains the same number of meetings and overall governance responsibilities. The changes are intended to better organize Council’s time, improve the clarity and timeliness of decisions, and clearly distinguish between discussion and formal decision-making.
Workshops may include site tours, educational presentations, deep-dive discussions into complex municipal issues, and opportunities for Council to learn and work collaboratively with Administration. Matters discussed during Workshops are intended to return to a future Regular Council meeting for formal consideration, debate and decision – ensuring transparency and accountability.
“The revised meeting model aligns with modern governance practices and improves how we prepare and present information to Council,” said Drew Hyndman, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Cochrane. “By clearly separating workshops from decision meetings, we are supporting thoughtful discussion while keeping Council’s formal processes focused and efficient.”
Council also gave First Reading to Procedural Bylaw 01/2026, which governs the conduct and procedures of Council meetings. Proposed amendments include revised Notice of Motion provisions, the introduction of a consent agenda, the establishment of Public Hearings as a standing section within each Regular Council meeting (when required), updates to reflect legislative changes, and reorganization for improved clarity and usability. Second and Third Readings of the bylaw will return to Council at a future meeting for final consideration.
Residents can view the updated 2026 Council Meeting Calendar and access Council agendas and minutes at cochrane.ca/council.
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Media Contact:
Communications
Town of Cochrane
communications@cochrane.ca