By Pepper Parr
September 4th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
We were copied on a note from Anne and Dave Marsden to the City Clerk in which they asked:
Please Register Anne and Dave Marsden Pro Bono Health, Safety and Access Advocates to appear in Council at the Committee of the Whole on September 9, 2024 on the following agenda items:
Anne Marsden delegating at City Council
8.1 Procedure By-law Update CL01-24
8.2 Closed Meeting Investigation Report CL-19-24
8.3 Ombudsman Complaint CL-20-244
12.2 Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (PL-64-24
The Marsden’s are frequent delegators. To some they are seen as a bothersome couple who do nothing but complain.
To other they are among the very few that pay attention to what happens at city council.
In their note to the City Clerk that advise that: We may well withdraw our delegations when we see the information provided on 8.1 8.2 and 12.2.
“We do object profusely to not having the information before us two business days before the delegation deadline. They add that reports are added to the council agenda as Addendums – which we believe interferes with Council’s Municipal Act Transparency requirements.”
There is a concern here. Events that concern people are seldom given the time people need to read a report, do their own research and talk to their neighbours.
The way the City Clerk’s office handles things it is almost as if they don’t want people to be aware of what is being discussed.
There is seldom the sense that Staff really want to help. And that is not healthy.
While doing some research recently I used the word Burlington in an online search forgetting that there is a city in Vermont called Burlington as well as several other United States.
Something caught my eye. Notice the signs in the various city council chambers. Try that in Burlington and you would be escorted out of the building with a better than even chance of being served with a No Trespass Notice preventing you from entering the building for a period of time.
Have you ever seen this happen at a Burlington, Ontario Council meeting.
These people don’t look like trouble makers.
Burlington Ontario Council meetings were done virtually during the pandemic.
An engaged community. Wasn’t Burlington Ontario
At the start of every Council meeting in Burlington there is a stern message delivered by the Mayor on what you can and can’t do. The Mayor, who chairs most of the meetings these days, tell those in the audience that she wants respectful behaviour – which she defines. At time there is some clapping – when it does take place it is always started by members of Council.
Juicy, now I want to help the cause
difficult to adhere to “respectful behaviour” in the face of incompetence.
Procedure By-law rules must be followed by delegates. The Mayor absolutely insists on it especially those delegating at the Council lectern. . We witnessed one delegation being barred at the door when he was not under any ban. Besides which even if he was excluded from the premises the by-law allowed him to attend council.
The rules for Council and staff, even those that are legislated which staff and council know must certainly be complied with, are a different story. We came across case law the other day where Conservation Halton really got blasted by the Courts with a huge penalty (that gets paid by taxpayers) for not following their own rules. Maybe that’s why Mr. Basit is now Burlington CAO and why we had closed meetings for the hiring process and only the Mayor has the power to hire and fire?
We just got an email from Lisa Palermo, Deputy Clerk, advising that our request for delegation will be answered tomorrow – why? We followed all the rules and met the deadlines. It also advised that “staff” have withdrawn 8.2 which is the Dlosed Meeting Report – Why again? Does it say something that will embarrass Council?
At a 2024 Council meeting Anne dared to ask at the beginning of her delegation why the required playing of the national anthem had not occurred as set out in the Procedure By-law. Anne got a very dismissive response from the Mayor. WE DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS we still do not have an answer to this question and many more!
Excellent questions you ask here Anne and Dave. As for the mayor’s dismissive “WE DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS” – I propose the city put that on a flag, with a photo of the Mayor of course, to add to one of the new additional flagpoles soon to be flying at city hall. It’s an apt motto for COB.