Recap of yesterday's Oshawa Council Meeting - the ask was to waive the rules and introduce a motion CONCERNING the E-SCOOTER PROGRAM. The Votes were: Councillor McConkey Yes, Councillor Neal Yes, and then No and No and No and No and No and No and No and No.
To me, the issue was improving safety. But the Council Procedural Rules for a reconsideration of a previous Council decision do not allow the matter to be spoken to until a reconsideration vote passes.
It ended with the public having no way of finding out what the motion stated and what objections the Mayor and other Council members had against looking into ways to make the e-scooter pilot program safer. The Mayor didn't read the motion out loud, and I was not permitted to read it.
How does the public interpret two member of Council saying yes to opening the discussion and 8 saying no.
The 8 Nos from the Mayor and Councillors (one Councillor missed the meeting) imo amount to a convenient way to keep a lid on things, it's like on the Mayor's signal they were all chiming in unison, saying "we are not having this conversation".
Some of the public may have read the comments in the paper that the Mayor wont say anything because there is an ongoing police investigation.
But really, having the City investigate the program for ways to make it safer is separate and distinct from the police investigation of the fatality.
... and what exactly is the problem with asking for a TIME OUT, a PAUSE,...to those who are afraid of a ban, this program wasn't even active in Oshawa 6 weeks ago so who is over-reacting? and when did a PILOT PROGRAM become something you can't suspend for time to answer pertinent questions and try to fix.
If the shared e-scooter program is 'potentially dangerous' the faster it is improved the more responsible the City is by doing what is right, protecting others in a timely way...because increasing safety reduces liability. Elected representatives should never resort to a CYA process when there is a choice between safety and liability. A choice that continues to risk public safety increases liability. I think this is risk management 101. Respond, analyze, plan for uncertainty.
Below is the motion I placed in front of each Council member before the May 29th, 2023 Council meeting commenced:
To me, the issue was improving safety. But the Council Procedural Rules for a reconsideration of a previous Council decision do not allow the matter to be spoken to until a reconsideration vote passes.
It ended with the public having no way of finding out what the motion stated and what objections the Mayor and other Council members had against looking into ways to make the e-scooter pilot program safer. The Mayor didn't read the motion out loud, and I was not permitted to read it.
How does the public interpret two member of Council saying yes to opening the discussion and 8 saying no.
The 8 Nos from the Mayor and Councillors (one Councillor missed the meeting) imo amount to a convenient way to keep a lid on things, it's like on the Mayor's signal they were all chiming in unison, saying "we are not having this conversation".
Some of the public may have read the comments in the paper that the Mayor wont say anything because there is an ongoing police investigation.
But really, having the City investigate the program for ways to make it safer is separate and distinct from the police investigation of the fatality.
... and what exactly is the problem with asking for a TIME OUT, a PAUSE,...to those who are afraid of a ban, this program wasn't even active in Oshawa 6 weeks ago so who is over-reacting? and when did a PILOT PROGRAM become something you can't suspend for time to answer pertinent questions and try to fix.
If the shared e-scooter program is 'potentially dangerous' the faster it is improved the more responsible the City is by doing what is right, protecting others in a timely way...because increasing safety reduces liability. Elected representatives should never resort to a CYA process when there is a choice between safety and liability. A choice that continues to risk public safety increases liability. I think this is risk management 101. Respond, analyze, plan for uncertainty.
Below is the motion I placed in front of each Council member before the May 29th, 2023 Council meeting commenced:
