By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The controversy that resulted from the April Northumberland County council meeting – when one councillor was not permitted to speak due to a rule of procedure – has led to a potential change in that rule.
As a result, council voted to ask staff for a report on permitting county councillors to participate virtually.
The current rule does not permit a county councillor to participate in a council meeting virtually “except in an emergency.” In such cases, the mayor is expected to ensure his or her municipality is represented by the deputy mayor (who is also sworn in as an alternate councillor at the same times the mayors are sworn in as councillors).
In April, Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland sat in remotely from a conference he was attending, failing to send Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty in his place. His participation would have required a motion of council.
When Warden Brian Ostrander asked for a mover or seconder, none came forward. Though Cleveland continued to sit in remotely and observe, he could not take part.
At this week’s meeting Cleveland initially balked at having a report prepared, arguing that it would ease staff workload and expedite matters if council simply changed its policy with a vote.
Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore said that all alternatives should be considered, up to and including making virtual participation 100% optional.
“I say 100% optional,” Cleveland said, pointing out Trent Hills Deputy Mayor Mike Mike Metcalf. Mayor Bob Crate could have attended himself, he said, if it were 100% optional.
Metcalf corrected him, saying Premier Doug Ford had scheduled a visit that completely overlapped the county-council meeting time so, in any case, the warden could not have attended virtually or otherwise.
Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky (who had sent Deputy Mayor Todd Attridge to represent her municipality April 16 when she could not attend herself) said virtual attendance makes sense for a councillor who is not feeling well, or perhaps one who was in Cleveland’s situation – attending a conference but carving out time to sit in on county council.
Ostrander asked for one exception. Stating his opinion that it would be next to impossible to chair a meeting virtually, he asked that no virtual capability be extended to the warden. If a warden cannot attend, of course, that duty would then fall to the deputy warden.
The vote was made to ask for a staff report, with Hankivsky asking that best practices of other municipalities be taken into account.
