Does Any Of This Sound Familiar

As much as I would give this idea a chance, I do like this quote…

“Friction’s a good thing, as long as everybody’s intention is to create a better city, then that’s all fair enough.”

 Calgary mayor turns to psychologist to help city council get along

Tristin Hopper Feb 1, 2012 – 12:28 AM ET

Lorraine Hjalte / Postmedia News

During his 2010 campaign, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi described the city’s council as “broken.”

By Jason Markusoff and Tristin Hopper

Calgary • Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s bid to smooth out the “dysfunction” of Calgary city council with a closed-door psychology session has been met with charges of silliness from critics.

Over the weekend, Mr. Nenshi broached the idea in a confidential email to colleagues. Ivan Zendel, a Calgary psychologist, then followed up with a message asking council members how they felt they worked together and how this could be improved.

Citing discomfort with the plan, Alderman Gord Lowe said Monday he was considering skipping the meeting.

“I would find it extraordinary if any member of council did not want to attend a meeting on how council can work together better,” Mr. Nenshi said, adding if members were interested “in a dysfunctional group that is not working well together, it was absolutely their prerogative.”

When Alderman Andre Chabot tried to alter the agenda for the closed-door session, the Mayor shot back, “You can’t.” A six-member voting block of veteran council members also failed to shoot down his plan.

Mr. Zendel, a 20-year veteran of clinical psychology and psychotherapy, usually works with companies. His online profile says he has “a conviction to assist individuals and organizations to become more productive.”

“It looks extremely silly,” said Ric McIver, a former alderman who ran against Mr. Nenshi for mayor in 2010. “Friction’s a good thing, as long as everybody’s intention is to create a better city, then that’s all fair enough.”

Joe Ceci, another former alderman with Mr. Nenshi’s predecessors Dave Bronconnier and Al Duerr, was baffled by the decision. “Exsqueeze me?” he said when asked if a psychologist had visited city hall during his 15 years on council.

Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart said Mr. Nenshi himself can do a better job of cooling any passions. “It’s not that we don’t get along,” she said. “It’s about leadership and how you chair a meeting.”

The Mayor says some council members asked for a special meeting to discuss getting along in meetings behaviour after some stormy sessions.

Several contentious votes have been razor-close.

The decision on the $300-million airport tunnel, for example, was passed by eight votes to seven.

“I don’t consider 8-7 votes as being any sign of a dysfunctional council, in fact, just the opposite,” said Mr. Lowe, noting a contentious council makes for “well-canvassed” issues.

After the closed-door session with Mr. Zendel — details of which no one would discuss — Mr. Nenshi reported it was “non-dramatic.”

“A couple of members made what was actually a routine meeting into a big deal,” he tweeted.

“Having gone through the process, I thought it was interesting,” Alderman Gian-Carlo Carra said.

Civility has been a top priority for Mr. Nenshi, who often said during his 2010 election campaign Calgary city council was “broken.”

The 38-year-old political newcomer also refused to run attack ads. “[Attack ads] work not to convince people to vote for you, they work to convince your opponents not to vote. And I think that’s deeply cynical,” he told CTV News in March.

Nevertheless, the Mayor has not been above the occasional catty indulgence, at least online.

In November, after blogger Werner Patels accused him of being an extreme leftist, the mayor reposted on Twitter, Mr. Patels was “off [his] meds.”

National Post
thopper@nationalpost.

David Nitkin, Aurora's First  Integrity Commissioner, said he had "Worked with governments with blood on their hands"  

My guess is he never encountered anything like the Momac Regime in Aurora.