"The Holy Grail "

A motion  to  direct Director of Leisure Services  to flesh out terms of reference for a  museum curator and program . passed by  a recorded vote of six to three on Tuesday.

It was not a vote to expend funds.

Facility  maintenance and  permit space for programs  were under direction of the town's Leisure Services Department when Church Street school was in operation.

Before the aggressive demands of a  Historical Society spokesperson that the  town  butt out.

Argument against the motion was slim.  Opposition  by Councillor Ballard was  the motion was not accurate.

It could  have been  interpreted to mean: the motion  was  deceptive.  The motion was misleading. The motion lied.

It was my motion. I did not take that meaning.  I did not  demand a retraction  and apology on pain of being expelled from the meeting. 

I argued  $50Ks was included in the 2011 budget  for the purpose of retaining a curator, at my request, and council supported.  

"It would be my intention to restore the museum to its rightful home" I argued during budget discusssions.

I  looked around the table  and received  confirmation of  my re-call.

But the Councillor was adamant.. He requested  affirmation of the record from the treasurer.

Wording composed by staff was read from the record. It was imprecise.  .

I said   the wording was not "accurate". I could have said imprecise. But accuracy  was the point in contention. It was their word.

Councillor Gaertner intervened on a point of order to argue my comment was   a serious accusation   against staff.

Shades of  the not too distant past .

In Councillor Gaertner's  guided view,  it is apparently  acceptable to challenge  accuracy of  a motion  presented by myself but not acceptable  to  apply it  to an  imprecise phrase used by staff.

It was  the same twisted  logic that dominated the last council . It continues to support Council Gaertner's view of the supreme righteousness of the remnant  cabal  and  upholds her  conviction only she,Councillors Gallo and Ballard  are  keepers of all truth,logic and virtue.  The only ones capable of discerning and applying  appropriate rules for all to live by.

The same  argument was presented later for the motion to appoint yet a third Integrity Commissioner to enforce a  Code of Conduct that requires all members to read and understand it.

Not necessarily  for all to have the same understanding. Just  enough members to pursue a particular objective.

A scene in Monte Python's  movie. "In Search of The Holy Grail" comes to mind.

A small   white rabbit  leaps out of a cave  in a gigantic curve and bites off the head of  anyone  who dare to pass in "Search of The Holy Grail.