THE ISSUES - COUNCIL'S VINDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR
OVERVIEW
In the summer of 2013, there was a claim made by a long-time public works employee, against the Mayor and another staff member. As one Councillor put it, "it came from the waste site" (the dump). That incident cost more than $12,000 in legal fees, and after it was over, Council passed a motion barring staff and members of the Waste Management Committee from attending training or conferences in 2013.
Now, the operation of the dump has apparently been "restructured" to require only one full-time staff member - the other employee no longer works for the Township. Coincidence? Draw your own conclusions.
Now, the operation of the dump has apparently been "restructured" to require only one full-time staff member - the other employee no longer works for the Township. Coincidence? Draw your own conclusions.
DETAILS
In the summer of 2013, the Mayor and a senior staff member were the focus of a complaint by a long-time public works employee. Subsequently, at its September 9th, 2013 meeting, Council discussed the costs of dealing with that matter and came up with the idea that no one from the Waste Management Committee should attend any conferences based on the notion that the Committee was over-budget - something which was not true.
Then, at its next meeting (September 23rd, 2013), Council dealt with the conference issue again when one of the Councillors pointed out the false information on which the previous decision had been made. This time, Council made a very clear and direct connection between the $12,000+ costs incurred as a result of the complaint, and its corresponding reprisal that no one from the Waste Management Committee would be permitted to attend any conferences - a move which will ultimately short-change Township budgets by more than conferences/training would have cost. Before it was revoked, the budget for conferences and training was $1,500.
NOTE: Although the original punitive motion was only supposed to apply to 2013, Council has all but eliminated the Waste Management Committee's conference/training budget again in 2014. They reduced it to $500 right out of the starting gate for this year - only 1/3rd of what it has been for the past several years. Yet, Council went ahead and spent thousands of dollars on themselves again this year (February 2014) for several Councillors and senior staff to attend the Ontario Good Roads Conference. Have you ever wondered what actual value comes back to the Township for that expense? Us too - we have never heard or seen any kind of report on it.
Council claims that when other unexpected legal fees have been incurred in the past (ie. for issues not related to this one), it has been common practice to post those expenses against the corresponding departmental budget. That method does seem to have some merit and we don't really have any fundamental issues with the approach. However, what is unique and noteworthy in this particular case, is that Council has been very specific about how (some of) the $12,000 would be recouped - something for which there does not appear to be any other precedent, whatsoever.
Two members of the public, who attended the September 23rd, 2013 meeting, wrote a letter outlining what they had watched transpire and pointed out to Council just how punitive and vindictive their behaviour had appeared. Council simply received and filed the letter - they have never responded.
Even more disturbing - Council is obviously well aware of just how inappropriate their behaviour was, because they have been actively and defiantly trying to cover it up ever since! [Click] to jump to the section on Cover-Ups for more details on that aspect of this issue.
Then, at its next meeting (September 23rd, 2013), Council dealt with the conference issue again when one of the Councillors pointed out the false information on which the previous decision had been made. This time, Council made a very clear and direct connection between the $12,000+ costs incurred as a result of the complaint, and its corresponding reprisal that no one from the Waste Management Committee would be permitted to attend any conferences - a move which will ultimately short-change Township budgets by more than conferences/training would have cost. Before it was revoked, the budget for conferences and training was $1,500.
NOTE: Although the original punitive motion was only supposed to apply to 2013, Council has all but eliminated the Waste Management Committee's conference/training budget again in 2014. They reduced it to $500 right out of the starting gate for this year - only 1/3rd of what it has been for the past several years. Yet, Council went ahead and spent thousands of dollars on themselves again this year (February 2014) for several Councillors and senior staff to attend the Ontario Good Roads Conference. Have you ever wondered what actual value comes back to the Township for that expense? Us too - we have never heard or seen any kind of report on it.
Council claims that when other unexpected legal fees have been incurred in the past (ie. for issues not related to this one), it has been common practice to post those expenses against the corresponding departmental budget. That method does seem to have some merit and we don't really have any fundamental issues with the approach. However, what is unique and noteworthy in this particular case, is that Council has been very specific about how (some of) the $12,000 would be recouped - something for which there does not appear to be any other precedent, whatsoever.
Two members of the public, who attended the September 23rd, 2013 meeting, wrote a letter outlining what they had watched transpire and pointed out to Council just how punitive and vindictive their behaviour had appeared. Council simply received and filed the letter - they have never responded.
Even more disturbing - Council is obviously well aware of just how inappropriate their behaviour was, because they have been actively and defiantly trying to cover it up ever since! [Click] to jump to the section on Cover-Ups for more details on that aspect of this issue.
RESOURCES and SUPPORTING MATERIALS
[Click] - Minutes of Council's July 29th, 2013 meeting. These minutes show the conducting of closed sessions to deal with various matters ("Harassment Allegation", and later, "Committee Remuneration"). As you read through them, pay close attention to the comings and goings of various members of Council and staff.
[Click] - Minutes of Council's September 9th, 2013 meeting. Note how the level of detail in the discussion about the Waste Management Committee stands out (page 5).
[Click] - Minutes of Council's September 23rd, 2013 meeting. Note how, on page 1, the minutes indicate that "On a verbal motion, moved by E. Brayton, seconded by D. Downey, Council directed that no staff or member of the Waste Management Committee will attend a conference in 2013." That's not true - there is a significant piece of the real motion missing. When asked by Acting Mayor Renaud to read the motion (just prior to the recorded vote taking place), the Administrator-Clerk responded "that the Staff and member of the Committee not attend the two conferences due to the budget overage of $12,042.61" (emphasis denoted here, for clarity). The minutes also lack any reference to the discussion which took place about the fact that the Waste Management Committee was not over-budget (as had been wrongly-stated in the September 9th, 2013 minutes).
[Click] - Letter to Council outlining exactly what happened at their September 23rd, 2013 meeting.
[Click] - Recorder & Times article which broke the story open.
[Click] - Recorder & Times article outlining Council's continuing unrest.
[Click] - Letter to the editor (Recorder & Times), dealing further with the issue. (unedited version)
[Click] - Minutes of Council's September 9th, 2013 meeting. Note how the level of detail in the discussion about the Waste Management Committee stands out (page 5).
[Click] - Minutes of Council's September 23rd, 2013 meeting. Note how, on page 1, the minutes indicate that "On a verbal motion, moved by E. Brayton, seconded by D. Downey, Council directed that no staff or member of the Waste Management Committee will attend a conference in 2013." That's not true - there is a significant piece of the real motion missing. When asked by Acting Mayor Renaud to read the motion (just prior to the recorded vote taking place), the Administrator-Clerk responded "that the Staff and member of the Committee not attend the two conferences due to the budget overage of $12,042.61" (emphasis denoted here, for clarity). The minutes also lack any reference to the discussion which took place about the fact that the Waste Management Committee was not over-budget (as had been wrongly-stated in the September 9th, 2013 minutes).
[Click] - Letter to Council outlining exactly what happened at their September 23rd, 2013 meeting.
[Click] - Recorder & Times article which broke the story open.
[Click] - Recorder & Times article outlining Council's continuing unrest.
[Click] - Letter to the editor (Recorder & Times), dealing further with the issue. (unedited version)
PLEASE ATTEND COUNCIL MEETINGS
The clearest, most effective message you can send to Council, is to attend their meetings. So long as the public gallery is empty, they will get the impression that no one cares.
It would be hypocritical to hold Council responsible for the outcome of all things if we are perpetually absent from the process, ourselves.
Typically, Council meetings are held on Mondays. [Click] to open the Township's official calendar in a new window.
It would be hypocritical to hold Council responsible for the outcome of all things if we are perpetually absent from the process, ourselves.
Typically, Council meetings are held on Mondays. [Click] to open the Township's official calendar in a new window.