Members of White Rock city council need a forum where they can discuss city issues informally before making a decision, and a return to committee of the whole meetings may be the answer.Coun. Lynne Sinclair posed the idea during this month’s governance and legislation committee meeting, noting it was raised during discussions at a recent planning session.It “would free the issues to come in a more natural way,” Sinclair said.Committee of the whole meetings are less formal than council meetings, where members have just two opportunities to speak for up to five minutes on any issue. In committee of the whole, opportunities to speak are unlimited, city clerk Tracey Arthur told Peace Arch News.The city has not had a formal committee of the whole since late 2008.However, Mayor Catherine Ferguson noted council still has the ability to go into a committee of the whole meeting at any time. Ferguson expressed concern that holding set committee of the whole meetings could result in the same issues coming to council as many as three times.City manager Peggy Clark said that situation could be averted by deciding in advance which issues will go to a committee of the whole; or, council could decide on the fly, she said.Arthur suggested that a note could be made on council agendas reminding members which issues they may wish to discuss further.Veteran Coun. Mary-Wade Anderson described the less formal setting as “a very useful forum” for past councils.“Anything could come up and be talked about, and it encompassed a lot of items that needed to be talked about,” she said.Ferguson noted council is “getting a lot done and things are moving through” without the additional meeting. She agreed a committee of the whole meeting would be a good fit for discussing items such as tree management.Re-establishing a committee of the whole was recommended last fall.Coun. Helen Fathers told Peace Arch News at the time that the opportunity to more freely discuss issues with her fellow councillors appeals. Being new to council, it is something she hasn’t experienced, she said.In regular council, “we don’t really have time to communicate really what’s going on,” Fathers said.“On a personal note, it’s good to understand and get someone to clarify where they’re coming from. Not everyone’s fantastic at explaining, certainly in that environment.“I hear it may have been a better way of doing business.”Committee members agreed that a reminder on council agendas – stating that the opportunity exists – will suffice.