Northumberland County Council Further Debates Electronic Participation Bylaw Before Final Approval

Pete Fisher
2 minutes ago
• Categories: City Hall, Local

Some items on Northumberland County council’s agenda were re-ordered Wednesday, including the updated procedural bylaw for electronic participation, to allow for two members to join the meeting virtually.

Deputy Warden Olena Hankivsky, the mayor of Port Hope, was chairing the meeting in the in-person absence of County Warden and Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander, who was waiting online to join the meeting. Hankivsky said Councillor Lucas Cleveland, mayor of Cobourg, was also expected to join virtually. He joined the meeting 20 minutes later.

The procedural bylaw still in place at the start of the meeting required two-thirds council approval for virtual participation and for select reasons.

A motion to allow the electronic participation of Ostrander and Cleveland was debated.

Councillor Mandy Martin, mayor of Cramahe Township, asked what the reasons were for the virtual attendance. She was told the changes to the procedural bylaw were on the agenda to allow members to attend electronically for any reason, but because that bylaw hasn’t passed yet there still needed to be a motion to allow Ostrander and Cleveland to participate.

“Which doesn’t answer my question because the rules are still in place for this. You must have a reason,” Martin said. “This County council and this body spent years getting the okay to have a deputy, an alternate person attend so that we were never without representation municipally at this horseshoe. Why on earth do you have an alternate appointed to fill in for your councillors?”

Hankivsky allowed Ostrander to respond. He acknowledged that he wasn’t supposed to participate in the meeting yet, but said he was at a conference in Ottawa representing the County and Brighton.

“I’m happy to wait until council chooses whether or not they wish to alter the procedural bylaw to permit this,” Ostrander said.

Asked if that answered her question, Martin said “I still don’t know why we’re approving it for the Cobourg delegate. What is the reason?”

Hankivsky, after conferring with staff, said no reason was provided.

The motion to allow Ostrander and Cleveland to participate at that point was defeated.

Soon after, there was more debate when the updated procedural bylaw for electronic participation was up for approval.

Councillor John Logel, mayor of Alnwick/Haldimand Township, wondered if the assigned alternates for each municipality would still be required.

It was noted at the previous County council meeting that members could participate virtually or still send an alternate under the new bylaw.

This started back in April when Cleveland attempted to join a County council meeting virtually while away at a conference rather than send his alternate, Cobourg Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty, in his place and didn’t receive two-thirds support to participate.

See previous story: (https://todaysnorthumberland.ca/2025/08/14/updated-bylaw-for-electronic-participation-at-northumberland-county-council-progressing/)

Councillor Bob Crate, mayor of Trent Hills, said his understanding was that alternates would be used and most councillors had done so. He wondered what the reason would be to not use an alternate if they’re available.

“I don’t understand why we have a procedural bylaw that stipulates that when you can’t attend you have an alternate to send,” Crate said. “I can understand when there’s an instance where (the alternate) can’t attend where you would allow someone to do it electronically, but just to shut out the alternate altogether doesn’t seem to me to be playing with the rules.”

Councillor Scott Jibb, mayor of Hamilton Township, asked about special Council county meetings and was reminded that members can attend any special meetings electronically for any reason under the new bylaw. Only three regular County council meetings can be attended electronically per year for any reason and members must also be in person for budget meetings and the inaugural meeting. They must also be in attendance for the December meeting when the warden and deputy warden are elected.

Martin suggested reasons should be required for participating electronically rather than in person.

“Think about all the accountability that we ask for in terms of budgeting, scheduling, issues that come before us. I mean to just suddenly say ‘I’m not coming to the meeting’ or ‘I’m going to come electronically,’ no, what is the reason you cannot be here,” Martin said. “There should be some justification in this why you cannot be here in person. Obviously there are going to be circumstances where that is so, what’s so difficult about that? We do have alternates, we have a back-up system that protects this democratically elected body and I would like to see that enforced.”

Hankivsky said this wasn’t the first time see the option presented and wondered why these issues weren’t addressed earlier.

Martin said she understood that reasons would be required, “but obviously that wasn’t the common understanding of all members around this table.”

Jibb said the reason behind the updated bylaw is about creating more flexibility for council members.

“I don’t believe there is a problem with the use of this. I do however believe there is a problem with the misuse of this. That misuse is going to be reflective in what we as individual council members do. I personally have had an alternate here, personally have missed a council meeting, both of which were for medical reasons.”

Jibb said he would support the motion, but also suggested it needed to be reviewed in the future to reflect on if there is any misuse of it perceived by council members.

Hankivsky said she also has sent an alternate to represent Port Hope at the County meeting.

“I think this is one of those policies that hopefully will be used respectfully and I think it’s an opportunity for us to check in later and see whether or not there’s any concerns and how it is being misused or used.”

Hankivsky noted Cleveland joined the meeting during the discussion, but still couldn’t participate in the vote as Ostrander waited as well.

The motion for the updated procedural bylaw passed.