This was in the Era-Banner on Sunday September 14.
http://yorkregion.com/printarticle/81255
Aurora staff crisis leads to blogging
Simone Joseph
Published on Sep 13, 2008
Aurora Councillor Evelyn Buck was reprimanded this week for blogging private council discussions on her website.
It is not appropriate to publicly reveal information from closed session matters, Mayor Phyllis Morris said during a council meeting Tuesday night.
Ms Morris was criticizing Ms Buck’s Sept. 8 blog in which Ms Buck mentions the town’s chief building official had reported a staff shortage and work overload problem in the building department.
The department is so busy, the town needs to start paying workers overtime or risk builders starting projects without permits and not receiving timely inspections, one official said in the private meeting.
This information discussed in closed-door meetings is not appropriate material for Ms Buck’s blog, Councillor Evelina MacEachern agreed, adding the report was clearly colour-coded as a personnel matter to be discussed in private.
Ms Buck, however, defended her decision to include the information in the blog, saying it had to be dealt with.
“It is a town problem, a council problem. It needs to be dealt with now,” Ms Buck said.
“I don’t see that that matter needed to be discussed in private. It is a crisis in the building department that needs to be dealt with.”
Portions of the discussion should be shared in public, Councillor Alison Collins-Mrakas said, adding staffing issues should be discussed in public.
Ms Buck has said she would not deliberately alienate councillors in her blog but said she is fed up with council in-fighting where six or seven councillors vote together and cannot be swayed.
“There is no hope. I have given up on this council,” Ms Buck said in a phone interview Wednesday.
The blog, which she set up with the creation of her website during the 2006 municipal election, has been a helpful means of communication with the public, she said.
“That became my outlet — the answer to my frustration. I am doing with my blog what I promised people I would do. I am keeping them informed,” Ms Buck said.
“It is a godsend. Readers are zooming up, people are encouraging me to keep going.”
Portions of Ms Buck’s blog are critical of Aurora council.
“A chill hangs over town hall. Any staff member who dares to exercise authority is quite likely to find himself hauled before a quasi tribunal and cross-examined like a felon.
“Behind closed doors of course,” she wrote in her blog Sept. 10.
But her blog was not the only medium criticized. The mayor also questioned the accuracy of Ms Buck’s letter to the editor in the Sept. 9 Auroran newspaper.
In the letter, Ms Buck criticized a recommendation the town accept maintenance and operating costs of three lights in a Canadian Tire parking lot that would serve residents in a nearby condominium community.
“One is tempted to wonder why the report comes forward now, just days after the CAO was escorted from the premises of Aurora town hall.
“Was it one of the mayor’s orders she could not persuade him to obey?” she wrote.
During the council meeting, the mayor addressed Ms Buck’s accusation. “Did I order anyone to obey?” she asked.
“Let us get some facts in the paper in future,” the mayor said.
Monday 15 September 2008
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6 comments:
I chuckled at your quote that "six or seven councillors vote together and cannot be swayed." It's called democracy, Mrs. Buck, and means the majority of council does not agree with you the majority of the time. It is not some dark plot to shut you up. You are simply wrong most of the time. Get over it. Aurora would be better off if, by "giving up on this council" you mean to resign.
The only crisis is one being manufactured by a half-dozen malcontents who aren't getting their way in town anymore.
with all due respect to the previous post, I don't think I would use the term "democracy" in the same sentence as this council...
Funny, the final comment by this writer "aren't getting their way in town anymore". I've heard Councillor MacEachern echo those very sentiments and talk about that point as a proud accomplishment of her 'team'. C'mon Evelena, you don't have to use the "anonymous" title any longer. Be proud of your stance, if only you could back it up with proven results. You sure have the mayor fooled.
I have to agree with the first blogger, Buck should do the honourable thing and resign. If she wants to be a reporter and report what's happening at town hall she should quit as Councillor and be a reporter.
She can't do both!
It's unfair to other councillors and staff, not to mention that it gives her the inside track that other reporters don't have.
But I'm sure the sense of fair play, dignity and honour don't weigh heavily on Concillor Buck's conscience and so I expect more of the same from her. If it's good for Buck, then the hell with everyone else. Isn't that true councillor?
Some of you don't understand the first thing about democracy.
Councillors are supposed to have opinions of their own and express them freely, that is what they are elected to do.
As for reporting it and having a blog, good for you Councillor Buck. I wish more Councillors would have the gumption to speak their own mind instead of following Phyllis and Evelina (This means you, Wilson, Granger, and appointee Galo)
If you looked at other municipalities you would see other Councillors with TV shows, radio shows, and regular columns in the paper (why is it wrong in Aurora????).
We are free country to speak our minds, if you don't like it, you can create your own blog or letter to the paper, every Councillor has that right and to refuse them their democratic right to state their opinion is unconstitutional, and bordering on a communist society (Oh yeah, Aurora is almost there with Phyllis and Evelina at the helm) Shame on all of you that frown on someone that speaks their mind and states their opinion for the better of this town.
Well, Ev, you've rattled Phyllis' chains again, and you've put her into spin mode.
Have you read the Era-Banner from Thursday the 18th?
Front page spin of the staff shortages in the building department. We wouldn't have known anything about it at all, except for your digging for the truth. Thanks for that.
And in classic Phyllis style she is quoted as follows:
“When you have a situation in any family, you pull together,” Mrs. Morris said. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Family? The Town of Aurora is a Corporation, not a family.
What a ridiculous statement to make.
Does she really think the residents fall for that kind of waffle? Spin is spin, and thank heavens more residents are seeing her talk out of both sides of her face and making their own decisions on her performance and achievements for our town.
Get on with the job Phyllis, and don't be so reactive to every perceived slight.
Results garner support, not silly statements like that. It just illustrates your need to control, instead of setting the agenda.
Good grief. What will she spin next?
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