At Risk

Of boring , I will render Clause 3 of the Code of Conduct to pieces and analyse it before your very eyes.

Now read this:

"Members of Council will accurately and adequately communicate the attitudes and decisions of Council, even if they disagree with the majority decision of Council"

Think about Council as you have known it; four years of the Mormac cult and outsiders; McRoberts, Collins Mrakas and Me.

If compelled to tell about the attitudes and decisions of the Cult, how would that be portayed?

Songs of praise, warm and fuzzy compliments, expressions of marvel at their ingenuity or something less ?

What would be added to the public debate ?

Am I responsible for their decisions as well as my own and required to offer righteous rationale in the face of my own lack of conviction?

I don't think so. They should hope I will not do that.

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"Members shall show respect for the decision-making process".

Which one is that?

The Procedure Bylaw adopted as first item of business of every new Council , required by Provincial Regulation? Stating dates of meetings for the year ahead? Fixing start time and the hour of adjournment? To complete town business within a known framework? So all may know when public decisions shall take place under a known brand of Rules of Order?

Or the process where meetings neither start nor end on time,are used to showcase the amazing talents and attributes of the Presiding Member ? Where rules favouring friends and supporters are made on the fly? And recesses are called when the chair is challenged and doesn't know what to do next?

I attended a Barnum and Bailey Three Ring Circus in London, England once. I came away with a migraine headache that lasted for days.

I saw the musical "Cats" and loved the songs and dances but the simulated smoke and clanging garbage cans had a similar effect.

A Council Meeting as currently presided is a trial of endurance. It generates no respect.

Would that it were different.

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"Official information related to decision and resolutions made by Council will normally be communicated to the community and the media in an official capacity by the Mayor or designated staff member or through a press Release issued by the Corporation".

Majority decisions , duly recorded, are decisions of the Corporation. The Town's Corporate Communications division exists, funded by tax dollars to relay Corporate decisions to the public.

It has not been designated as the public relations arm of the Mayor's Office.

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"Information concerning adopted policies, procedures and decisions of the Council shall be conveyed openly and accurately."

Responsibility for so doing, is a function of administration. It has no bearing on conduct of a Councillor.

The sentence is a filler.

Our Procedural Bylaw is full of stuff like that.

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"Confidential information will be communicated only when and after determined by Council"

Provincial regulations set out those items of public business that may be held confidential.

Because of potential for litigation against the municipality, some items may never be released.

Regulations require "reporting out" of other matters when concluded by Council. Time limit for so doing is not specified. That's a flaw.

Yet the regulations do not anticipate Council keeping secrets for political advantage.

Corporation safeguards are the only imperative.

The clause denies the principle of openness and transparency.

It is not supportable.

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Clause 3. of the Code is cited in the MacEachern's complaint filed with David Tsubouchi.

It was cited in the Commissioner's decision .