By Pepper Parr
May 4th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
City Council is now meeting in a hybrid format – for the first time in years real people are able to appear in person to delegate.
This is what a hybrid meeting of Council looks like. The delegator is shown in the upper left, the chair of the meeting in the lower left and the members of Council shown in the two panels on the right. Awkward – but it works.
While the public can be in Chambers – not all members of Council make a point of showing up.
They choose to work from home – why? Except for ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, none of the Councillor s have made a point of explaining why they were not at work.
Councillor Nisan manages to chair a Standing Committee meeting from the comfort of home.
Nisan’s issue is the health safety of his child – who is not yet a year old and cannot be vaccinated. He isn’t prepared to take what he sees as a significant risk.
They will say they are at work even if they are not in Council Chambers.
Delegations expect to be able to speak to the members of Council – doing so via the equivalent of Zoom is like getting a kiss without a hug.
It just isn’t the same.
I am trying to square the fact that thousands of people can attend various activites in and around the City and Province, while Burlington council chambers remains in what looks like an unfriendly Covid bubble?
Why does Councillor Nisan feel that he doesn’t have to attend in person Council Meetings but can pose for pictures maskless with his supporters ? Is he afraid to show his face around the well respected Councillor Stolte ?
Why do you not name and shame all the councillors not present in person?
This is supposed to be a news piece. Give us all the facts.
Be interesting to see how Councillor Nisan handles campaigning.
Thank you for this heads up just got in under the wire of the noon deadline for registration inhouse delegation for Anne and Dave Marsden tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Env etc. Committee item RCC-05-22 Community Donation – Parks. We are so excited to be back in Council Chambers.