By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON.
January 14, 2014
How they voted. This is a new, regular feature on how your member of Council voted on various issues. Council members get to vote twice on each matter; once at the Standing Committee where debate is often lengthy. The vote at Standing Committee is not the final vote and it has been the practice of this Council not to publish how each Council member voted.
The Chair of the Standing Committee calls the vote but it is usually very difficult to see who has their hand up and who doesn’t. There are a couple of council members who tend to hide how the voted – the worst offender has been Jack Dennison of ward 4 followed by Councilor Craven of ward 1.
Your city council members: The Significant Seven. Most of the votes this time out were unanimous with just Councillors Craven and Dennison dissenting on matters.
The Gazette wrote to the chairs of the Standing Committees for 2014 and asked that they instruct members of council to show their hands so media could record the vote. Both Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster complied with the request. Councilor Taylor, at the first meeting this was to happen said publicly “you should have asked for this three years ago”.
Development and Infrastructure meeting January 13th 201There were two Statutory public meetings.
There were no declarations of interest
At most Standing Committee meetings there are items that need no debate and are consented to unless a Council member wants something debated.
The following was approved by consent:
Report approving a variance to the Sign By-law to Permit Additional Ground Signs, Daniel Johnson Architect Inc. – 1900 Appleby Line. (PB-11-14)
The vote was unanimous.
RegularAgenda:
Official Plan Review: Report regarding the Official Plan Review and Preliminary study of the heritage character of theMount Nemo Plateau (PB-07-14)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council. Councilor Jack Dennison did not speak to this matter.
Report providing Rail line safety and awareness review(DID-1-14
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Report providing a response to Provincial consultations on the Land Use Planning & Appeal System (Halton Area Planning Partnership Joint Submission) (PB-14-14)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Report providing a progress report and additional funding request on Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System Project: (CM-21-13)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Report recommending information on the feasibility of implementing an Interim Control By-law in the Roseland Community. (PB-16-14)
Staff report was amended to include to continue with the Indian Point study. Approved and sent to Council
Report providing information on Graffiti Prevention and Abatement. (PB-01-14)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Report approving proposed Sign By-law amendments related to Banners. (PB-06-14)
Report recommendation approved 6-1 and sent to Council. Councillor Craven dissenting.
Report regarding the rezoning application for 5000 & 5014 New Street. (PB-12-14)
Report recommendation approved 6-1 and sent to Council. Councillor Craven dissenting.
Report requesting a zoning regulation review related to the commercial production of medical marihuana.
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council
Public Meetings:
Public Meeting No. 1 – Report recommending city-initiated general amendments to Zoning By-law 2020. (PB-03-14)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Public Meeting No. 2 – Report recommending city-initiated zoning by-law amendments for home-based businesses. (PB-08-14)
Report recommendation unanimously approved and sent to Council.
Burlington Executive Airport Update.
Confidential matters for consideration:
Confidential verbal update regarding McMaster discussions related to future opportunities.
Confidential verbal update regarding McMaster discussions related to future opportunities.
Afternoon session started at 1:00 pm, adjourned at 3:25
Evening session started at 6:30 pm, adjourned at 10:10 pm
How shaddy of Craven and Dennison to not show everyone how they voted. What do they have to say about the standing committiees instructions?
Thank you for recognizing Burlingtonians are responsible enough to know exactly what the vote is in order to ascertain their vote in October 2014.
Thanks again.
Many thanks, Pepper, for this initiative – although City Hall should really be out in front of the issue of recording votes.
In that regard, my own very unscientific poll in 2013 confirmed public support for electronic voting (note similar comments to yours abut the evasive voting stylings of Jack Dennison – who is, by the way, not the “Ward 5” Councillor):
https://brianheagle.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/for-the-record/
BTW – please clarify what you mean by “did not speak to this matter”.
Editor’s note: The ward error has been corrected – Thank you for that. This Council had an opportunity early in 2013 to move to a procedure that would record every vote – they chose not to do so. Unfortunately we were not recording votes at that time – but we will make that an election issue.
Did not speak – means just that – he made no comment during the debate on that matter.
Thank you for the clarification about your “did not speak” note (conversely, then, I’ll presume others did speak to the matter when that note is given).