Windsor keeps 10 a.m. council meetings for now as broader start-time review moves ahead

What happened at city council on Monday? CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske provides an update on what’s happening in Windsor.

Windsor city council has approved its 2026 meeting calendar but delayed any decision on whether to change the current 10 a.m. start time, opting to wait for a more comprehensive report that could reshape how meetings are structured.

The decision comes after the city released new public engagement data showing clear differences between how residents, councillors, and administration view meeting accessibility.

Survey data drawn from 768 resident respondents showed 51 per cent preferred a 6 p.m. start time, while 29 per cent selected the current 10 a.m. start time for Windsor city council meetings.

During Monday’s meeting, longtime council watcher Carolyn Taylor urged councillors to restore evening meetings, arguing the shift to daytime sessions has discouraged public participation.

“People cannot come at 10 a.m.,” said Taylor, recalling meetings in previous years when “chambers used to be full.”

Coun. Mark McKenzie asked why she believed 6 p.m. resonates so strongly with residents.

“Because it gives a person time to get home from work, get supper on, and get ready to come,” Taylor replied.

Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, recalling the days when some evening meetings would end as late as 1 a.m., countered that attendance has always depended more on the issue than the hour of the meeting.

She recalled major debates in recent months that packed chambers, regardless of start time.

“Other than those very large issues, regular attendance was not much different than what we see now,” she said.

Coun. Renaldo Agostino argued the real issue is not the clock — but communication.

“I don’t think a start time has anything to do with public engagement anymore,” he said.

“You go to where the information is. Our messaging isn’t in the right places.”

A report by city staff warns that returning to evening meetings could increase overtime costs by $19,000 to $26,000 a year, while also limiting staff’s ability to respond to technical questions in real time.

Council ultimately approved the 2026 meeting calendar — maintaining the 10 a.m. start — but deferred the start-time debate so all members, including the absent Coun. Fred Francis could participate in a wider conversation.

The expanded report is expected to examine council compensation, whether councillors should be considered part-time or full-time, and how meeting structure impacts public participation.

Speaking after the meeting, Mayor Drew Dilkens emphasized that council can change the start time whenever it wants.

“Meeting start times are enshrined in our procedure bylaw,” said Dilkens.

“They can change it at any time.”

Dilkens also noted that livestreaming, video submissions and virtual delegations have opened new avenues for public participation that didn’t exist even five years ago.

“For some folks, they like the old way. But there are many different ways to participate today,” the mayor said.

“No matter what time we choose, there will always be a group of people who are dissatisfied.”

Administration expects a broader report covering start times, engagement tools, meeting structure and council compensation to return by early 2026.

Council voted 6-5 in December 2023 to shift regular meetings from the evening to 10 a.m. That change that took effect with the 2024 council calendar.