By Pepper Parr
September 13th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
We wrote earlier today about the Crisis Management Team (CMT) that is going to handle the coyote problem and we asked the city Communications people where the mandate for the team comes from.
Turns out the city has a bylaw in place that allows for the creation of any number of CMT’s
We asked Communications where does the mandate to set up these Crisis Management Teams come from?
“For this the CMT gets its mandate from the fire-and-emergency-services/emergency-plan-and-preparedness bylaw.
City Manager Tim Commisso: Is there any limit to the number of committees he can serve as Chair on and still be effective?
The Team is chaired by the City Manager.
The members of the Team depends on the situation: for this issue it includes staff from Communications, Building & Bylaw, Customer Experience, HR, Finance, Corp. Strategy Team, Recreation, Community & Culture, Roads, Parks and Forestry, Finance, Legal and the Mayor.
At first glance it appears a little on the unwieldy side. Input from some of the city departments would be needed – but being able to pivot should there be a coyote bite that results in a fatality needs a small tightly focused group with strong leadership.
Can you imagine a situation that calls for three different CMT’s – and the City Manager chairing all of them ?
All this will come to the surface at the meeting on Wednesday – the 14th.
It will be interesting how the Council incumbents handle this. Will they waffle and mumble and place a new order for Foxcroft whistles?
So far there hasn’t been any real leadership on this issue. And it isn’t over yet.
Stephen White: Prior to starting Competitive Edge Coach he worked for Scotiabank and was responsible for the design, development and implementation of the Bank’s Occupational Health and Safety Program. Stephen has taught t McMaster and Algoma Universities, and is currently teaching at Sheridan College. In addition to Masters degrees in Public Administration and Industrial Relations, Stephen holds the CHRL designation through the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario. In August 2021 he attained the Professional Certified Coaching designation (“PCC”).
Stephen While, who along with Julie Martin from Oakville wrote the Burlington Oakville Coyote Management report that didn’t get distributed to council for months – City Manager admits now that he should have ensured that Council members were given the report.
White expects to be delegating to the Standing Committee on Wednesday. One of the question he asks is: Does anyone know just how many coyotes there are in the south eastern part of the city. There have been six bite incidents so far.
How many legal claims – No one is bringing that subject up.
Culling is definitely an option. But, will the coyotes that are killed not just be replace by another pack of them.
Too bad a CMT is needed for such a problem with an easy fix. When I read that the coyote has been eliminated. Is that a euphemism for killed? Or has the animal been relocated to rural Burlington. Where, when a farmer sees it around his flock of sheep, the yote will be shot. This is actually a simple problem with a simple fix. But I think a CMT is needed to take the heat for the decision that is long overdue because of our politicians afraid of offending a vocal group of animal lovers and so, in a way, abrogate their responsibility. Perhaps to somebody who is not an elected official.
People having been attacked and city hall is handing out whistles. More “study” is not needed. I would like to feel safe taking an evening walk in my neighbourhood.
Legal claims ? Against whom? Claiming what ?
Negligence of some amount by the claim defendant(s) would need to be shown. In the case of the bite of a senior at the residence on New Street, are you thinking the management of that residence holds some responsibility?
To those who threw stones at the Mayor for not sharing the report with other members of council I note the Gazette now reports the City Manager was responsible for distribution. Perhaps those same people might acknowledge that and admit their anger was misdirected. I won’t name names but you know who you are. If you don’t check the previous posts on this topic
Editor’s note: You have distorted what was reported. Both the Mayor and the City Manager should have shared the report.