Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We don’t always get it right and we have learned that sometimes the less said, the better.
Councillor Kearns sent us a note asking for a correction
We had said:
Councillor Kearns wanted to see a more honed in approach to whatever it was the Mayor wanted done. Reference was made to where this fit into the V2F document (Vision to Focus) by Kearns but not before she could say that she thought the city was lucky to have Nancy Shea Nicol on Staff (she is the Executive Director of Legal Services) because she was “an amazing person.”
Kearns felt we had gotten it wrong and sent us a note.
Subject: CORRECTION
“I said this about Sheila Jones when I misplaced her professional title.”
Councillor Kearns was objecting to what we wrote. In a response to Kearns we said we wondered why she felt it was necessary for her to “gush” over staff so often.
We (the Gazette) wondered if “gushing” about staff publicly was good politics. Council is there to hold the administration accountable.
Kearns replied: “I only gush about people that deserve it.” Then added “It’s protocol courtesy to thank staff for the reports that come forward.”
Really – there is a protocol saying thou must fawn over every report that staff prepares for Council?
It is not unreasonable to thank people in public for completing a job. If it was a poor job, you deal with that offline. Simple courtesy and sound management practice. Nothing to see here folks.
Councillor Kearns is a Canadian. That is why she is so so polite.