The picture above is from my computer, a screen capture of the meeting this morning....
The technology aspect of Oshawa's first electronic meeting held between 9:30 am and 11:00 am was smooth enough...
but disquieting in other respects. Warning, long post ahead:
For anyone looking at all the 10-1 votes, well, I dare them to say I'm not a team player. Near the start of the meeting my first motion was to go into Committee of the Whole (which allows freer more fulsome discussion, extended time for questions and answers, and the opportunity to circle back around the table after everyone has spoken, something I thought my colleagues might find appropriate considering all the questions and challenges encountered since the last Council meeting March 13th) It was defeated 6 - 5. (Mayor Carter being the last to vote, was the deciding vote for Council not to go into Committee of the Whole).
First up, Report CNCL-20-14, with the proposed procedural details on how, going forward, the City will only have electronic meetings during a declared Emergency... I asked about having blended meetings, with some Councillors in the Council chamber and some remote, but I listened to the Mayor's response and didn't pursue that further.
I then asked for the Report's 3 staff recommendations to be divided so council could vote on them separately. My reason: I was not in favour of suspending the Standing Committee meetings without an alternative. Imo having only one electronic Council meeting scheduled every 4 weeks limits the role of the City's elected and does not best serve the public.
I voted with the rest of council on Recommendation 1: to permit electronic council meetings and on Recommendation 3: to waive the meeting Notice requirement during a declared emergency. But about Recommendation 2 : "that the Standing Committee meetings be suspended and all matters be dealt by Council", I tried to move an amendment.
Seeing how difficult it was to have the opportunity for greater discussion and move into Committee of the Whole this morning, imo it seemed a good idea to attempt to have Committee of the Whole meetings made 'regular' during the COVID crisis (other municipalities have them scheduled regularly but Oshawa Council does not.)
I made the motion to add after the words...all matters be dealt with by Council: "at regular Council meetings and 'regular' Committee of the Whole meetings in place of Standing Committee meetings". The Mayor ruled it out of order.
Second up was the Report CNCL-20-15 about extending the Mayor's delegation of authority "for a period of time to coincide with the City of Oshawa's Emergency Declaration and until such time as the Emergency is terminated."
Councillor Nicholson moved an amendment to tighten the wording of the timing of the expiry period. Councillor Neal and I supported Councillor Nicholson's amendment. When that amendment failed I commented to the Mayor and the City CAO that they have been doing a terrific job during the pandemic crisis. I then asked the Mayor for clarification why the delegation of authority needed to be extended. I said it didn't seem warranted since Council had just approved calling electronic Council meetings and had waived the required notice for them. Also, because I considered the delegation of authority extension too open-ended and the role of council members unnecessarily constrained, I indicated I would be voting against the motion to extend the delegation of authority. Vote was 10-1.
Funny how when the first 6-5 vote was taken, and then when both my and Councillor Nicholson's amendment motions were voted on, none were announced by the Mayor with the final tally. He simply had said 'that vote failed'. However, whenever the votes were 10-1, first the Clerk, then the Mayor would repeat "10-1"...like it needed more attention :)
As those two reports were the only items of business on the meeting Agenda , the Mayor then proceeded to call a vote on the two time sensitive motions I had emailed the Clerk before the meeting. The Mayor did not allow me to read them aloud as is standard practice. For some reason he then lumped them together, calling one vote for both. The vote was, take a guess...10-1
So yes, the confirming by-law vote, which is always the last vote before the adjournment vote, was 10-1
10-1 leaves an odd feeling today. My feelings of disquiet are not from standing alone so much as feeling I could/should be doing more. It is why that Globe and Mail editorial yesterday struck such a chord with me: "under no circumstances should any government see the emergency as an excuse to sideline elected representatives of the people."
The technology aspect of Oshawa's first electronic meeting held between 9:30 am and 11:00 am was smooth enough...
but disquieting in other respects. Warning, long post ahead:
For anyone looking at all the 10-1 votes, well, I dare them to say I'm not a team player. Near the start of the meeting my first motion was to go into Committee of the Whole (which allows freer more fulsome discussion, extended time for questions and answers, and the opportunity to circle back around the table after everyone has spoken, something I thought my colleagues might find appropriate considering all the questions and challenges encountered since the last Council meeting March 13th) It was defeated 6 - 5. (Mayor Carter being the last to vote, was the deciding vote for Council not to go into Committee of the Whole).
First up, Report CNCL-20-14, with the proposed procedural details on how, going forward, the City will only have electronic meetings during a declared Emergency... I asked about having blended meetings, with some Councillors in the Council chamber and some remote, but I listened to the Mayor's response and didn't pursue that further.
I then asked for the Report's 3 staff recommendations to be divided so council could vote on them separately. My reason: I was not in favour of suspending the Standing Committee meetings without an alternative. Imo having only one electronic Council meeting scheduled every 4 weeks limits the role of the City's elected and does not best serve the public.
I voted with the rest of council on Recommendation 1: to permit electronic council meetings and on Recommendation 3: to waive the meeting Notice requirement during a declared emergency. But about Recommendation 2 : "that the Standing Committee meetings be suspended and all matters be dealt by Council", I tried to move an amendment.
Seeing how difficult it was to have the opportunity for greater discussion and move into Committee of the Whole this morning, imo it seemed a good idea to attempt to have Committee of the Whole meetings made 'regular' during the COVID crisis (other municipalities have them scheduled regularly but Oshawa Council does not.)
I made the motion to add after the words...all matters be dealt with by Council: "at regular Council meetings and 'regular' Committee of the Whole meetings in place of Standing Committee meetings". The Mayor ruled it out of order.
Second up was the Report CNCL-20-15 about extending the Mayor's delegation of authority "for a period of time to coincide with the City of Oshawa's Emergency Declaration and until such time as the Emergency is terminated."
Councillor Nicholson moved an amendment to tighten the wording of the timing of the expiry period. Councillor Neal and I supported Councillor Nicholson's amendment. When that amendment failed I commented to the Mayor and the City CAO that they have been doing a terrific job during the pandemic crisis. I then asked the Mayor for clarification why the delegation of authority needed to be extended. I said it didn't seem warranted since Council had just approved calling electronic Council meetings and had waived the required notice for them. Also, because I considered the delegation of authority extension too open-ended and the role of council members unnecessarily constrained, I indicated I would be voting against the motion to extend the delegation of authority. Vote was 10-1.
Funny how when the first 6-5 vote was taken, and then when both my and Councillor Nicholson's amendment motions were voted on, none were announced by the Mayor with the final tally. He simply had said 'that vote failed'. However, whenever the votes were 10-1, first the Clerk, then the Mayor would repeat "10-1"...like it needed more attention :)
As those two reports were the only items of business on the meeting Agenda , the Mayor then proceeded to call a vote on the two time sensitive motions I had emailed the Clerk before the meeting. The Mayor did not allow me to read them aloud as is standard practice. For some reason he then lumped them together, calling one vote for both. The vote was, take a guess...10-1
So yes, the confirming by-law vote, which is always the last vote before the adjournment vote, was 10-1
10-1 leaves an odd feeling today. My feelings of disquiet are not from standing alone so much as feeling I could/should be doing more. It is why that Globe and Mail editorial yesterday struck such a chord with me: "under no circumstances should any government see the emergency as an excuse to sideline elected representatives of the people."