I'm Trying..I'm Trying..I Got It

Mr. Garbe, the following email trail would suggest that a member of Council

has gone directly to a junior member of staff for information.

It is reassuring to know that your staff do understand proper procedure
(even if the councilor refuses to follow it and thereby creating even more
unnecessary work)

And referred the inquiry to the Director for response.

While these seemingly trivial requests for information, which I am sure are


more frequent than I care to imagine, are disruptive, inefficient and

inappropriately directed, I am pleased to see that your staff are in fact

following procedure however they should also copying all members when

information is provided to any one member. While I am not thrilled to be

receiving even more email, especially such 'stuff' which should be dealt

with at the table, at the same time I do not expect your staff to

determine what should be forwarded and what is clearly just 'junk'.

The above e-mail was sent to the Chief Administrator of the Town of Aurora by a colleague,
Councillor Al Wilson.
The Councillor regularly sends such e-mails to staff. No response is ever circulated. It would surprise me if there were.
At no time have I ever indicated I am in need of any counsel or advice from the Councillor. It doesn't hinder him however from sending regular admonitions from the lofty peak of his expertise.
Once I acknowledged receipt of his e-mail and assured him I would file it with all the others.

I was convinced I could hear the scurrying of little feet behind the wainscot as he scuttled to
reverse himself.

But it didn't last. He was soon at it again.

Maybe if someone tells him select messages will be published for all to read, it may help him to exercise a little discipline over his worst inclinations.

I think of the first workshop conducted by our first and former Integrity Commissioner.

Close to the end of the session I asked how much he knew about municipal politics. He smiled
at me like a kindly adult to a child and referred to "collegiality" within the body of a council.