By Pepper Parr
April 16th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The City Council meeting on Monday will be a much different presentation.
First – it will be delivered via Zoom which should take out a lot of the glitches that were encountered during the two previous virtual city council meetings.
The Clerk’s office still does not appear to have come up with a way to permit delegations – and given the agenda we have been led to believe they will be working from – it is going to be a whopper of an event.
Each of the departments is reported to have prepared a report on what they have been up against and what the closure of many programs is going to do to their budgets.
The reports are said to be lengthy.
The decision to use Zoom apparently didn’t come from the city’s techy people – a Councillor who had experience with Zoom during her time on the Library Board managed to convince the city manager that it was worth a try.
There is nothing all that elegant about Zoom – but it is functional. Councillor Galbraith reports that they have been given headsets which should make it easier to communicate to each other.
The most important part of the COVID-19 crisis is sound communication with a central point where the decisions are made.
Burlington is basically run today by the Emergency Control Group that is made up of every level of bureaucracy, the police, fire, ambulance – and the people who deliver the essential services.
They meet at least twice a day every day and manage the issues that crop up.
The bylaw they work under has the Mayor representing the voice of city council. The Mayor seems to have interpreted that to mean she is THE voice of council and much of her behaviour leaves the impression that she is not only leading the parade – but IS the parade.
There is thought to be some turmoil between the 7th and 8th floors of city hall. The Councillors are all on the 7th floor with the Mayor and her team on the 8th.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in front of the hospital convey the public’s gratitude for the service they are giving and the risks they are taking.
The Mayor has taken to holding Front Line Claps to support the people who are not ill but put themselves at considerable risk taking care of those who need care.
Last Friday, instead of clapping from the veranda of her house the Mayor took to her car and was part of a caravan of vehicles that drove down Maple and onto the hospital grounds where she lead at least 15 first responder vehicles.
They pulled up in front of the hospital where the Mayor hopped out with a megaphone in her hand and addressed whoever in the hospital could hear her. The Mayor was alone – no members of council with her. It would have been a very simple matter to invite the other members of council to take part.
Didn’t happen.
Actually you are both right.If she was born in the USA. She would also be an American citizen. Lucky girl.
Zoom is not secure. There are many other alternatives for video and audio. The City is a Microsoft client. Use Microsoft teams. It’s secure and our tax dollars have already bought it.
For a secure cobbled together approach:
1. The reports can be loaded and shared. Or loaded onto the city’s website for people to review. They’re loaded there post meeting anyway.
2. Use an 800 number for audio. Cheap and dependable.
No need to use a pan insecure platform with its inherent risks.
Maybe you missed the swearing in of council at the chi chi Performing arts centre where she was the only inaugurate to speak.
“She thinks she is the parade”, sure but given that she is an American and a big believer in the so called “Strong Mayor” model of the States, perhaps some Canadian Constitutional Division of Powers Civics lessons would help her.
Editor’s note: Marianne Meed Ward is a Canadian citizen who was born in the United States.