Weird Tuesday

Is normal fare. But ours get weirder and weirder. The only real business on the agenda last Tuesday was approval of the minutes of the general committee meeting.

The Mayor had a "Memorandum" on the agenda. It sought to direct staff to carry out a particular direction.

Staff can only follow direction of Council, as determined by a duly moved and seconded motion of which notice has been and which has received majority support of council at a properly organized meeting of which the public is aware, in accordance with the Procedural Bylaw, passed at the first meeting of the Council as required by Provincial regulations.

I questioned the nature of the memorandum and it's placement on the agenda. The Mayor agreed to withdraw it.Then she asked the Solicitor for his opinion. He said the Mayor had the right to put a memorandum on the agenda. He did not answer the question about whether staff could be given direction via memorandum from the Mayor . Which of course they can't. Which was the reason for my challenge.

The odd thing is, a story in The Banner yesterday about the town's decision to pursue a "custodial agreement" with Ontario Heritage Trust on the Ann Bartley Smith lands.

That's what the memorandum was about. The one that was withdrawn from the agenda because it was giving direction to staff without due process.

Now...I ask you...how is a Councillor supposed to make sense of this let alone a member of the general public?

The story suggested the information was being provided by the Mayor and Mr. Garbe, our town's Chief Administrative Officer who pointed out the merits of the idea.

In the same paper ,there was a story about a pending bylaw about animals in public facilities.It has been pending for a few months. Mr. Garbe said staff hadn't been able to get to it yet. "it has not had priority"

It was a direction of Council. It was recommended by staff who have to deal with the problem.

Things must be difficult at the Town Hall with neither a municipal clerk or a deputy clerk on hand.

I understand the Mayor never meets the press without a member of staff or a lawyer on hand