A Natural Conclusion

The first item of business after being sworn into office is adoption of a Procedural Bylaw.

Witnin the Bylaw is a requirement to reviewRules of Order within  the first six months.

Council did that. A consultant was hired . New Rules were submitted and approved.

Old rules allowed for a Councillor to speak for thirty minutes. No-one ever did.

Older rules permitted a Councillor to speak once during  debate. Unless the Councillor had something new to say.

A question could be directed to staff. Presumable to support a point being made in debate.

Under old rules an elected representative had time needed to contribute whatever input he/she had before debate closed and the vote was called.

The rules resembled  the Public Planning Meeting .Members of the public are given every opportunity to be heard  before the public portion of the meeting is closed and Council debate begins.

It's ironic that  a member of the public has unlimited opportunity to express opposition or support to a planning  application, but  elected representatives,under to-day's  rules of order are restricted (two minutes)

Times  past, not every member of Council felt compelled to speak on every issue. Nor did they think it worthwhile to repeat an argument already made.

Endless questioning of staff was unheard of. The only staff present was the Clek and Deputy.

A Councillor was expected to be prepared to argue a position . Stand up.speak up and shut up.

Watching  nine people carrying out separate fact-finding ,fishing expeditions in the course of the decision-making process does not engender confidence.

Council meetings were not  televised  in the day.

Last night 's meeting  had an interesting turn-up for the book.

I had a motion on the table for a review of the Farmer's Market Bylaw.

Currently Market vendors  are required to have  representation for purposes  of communication with the Town. I  believe there's a lack of clarity about what represents representation.

Neither the current chair or vice chair are vendors.

Because of the  motion on the agenda, the Chairperson of the Market Executive,was granted delegation status to speak to the issue.

Delegation status provided  five minutes to speak.

If the motion did get on the table. an elected representative has  two minutes to speak.

The motion did not receive a seconder. Did not get on the table for discussion.

The only input on the issue  during a Council meeting came  from the non-elected,non-vendor chair of the Market.

In the circumstance,the elected representative was disrespected by elected representatives.

It is my position, when an elected representative is dis- respected, the electorate is dis-respected.

It's a natural conclusion.

Time moves on. Things change.  They do not  necessarily improve.