Listen to part of the audio regarding delegates’ request to be delegates at the June 12 meeting, as mentioned in the post about Deputy Mayor Gibb’s comments,
Unofficial transcript:
June 12, 2023 Delegations Discussion
Mayor Michael Prue We’ll pass that and then we’ll go back if necessary. All those in favor? That’s carried. Anybody want to hold any of those for amendment, change? Okay. I now have delegations, oh, Councillor Pouget.
Councillor Diane Pouget And, but I just had some concerns that we’re still just approving minutes from the January 23 meeting and January 30 meeting. I understand that we were short staffed at one time and now that we have our full complement, I’m prepared under new business to make a motion to make sure that it’s more that we’re receiving the minutes more timely.
Mayor Michael Prue Okay, we are now full staffed and this is four minutes in one meeting so I think they’re catching up as fast as they can. But thank you, thank you for the note. Delegations. Madam CAO, there was there’s we don’t have any listed but I understand that there was a request. The clerk, uh Mr. Clerk on zoom there, can you inform council?
Clerk Thank you your worship. Yep, the town did receive a number of requests for delegations in advance of this meeting. Some have been deferred off until the next meeting as they were incomplete or had missed the timeline. And at present, they are scheduled to be reviewed for placement at our next council meeting.
Mayor Michael Prue All right. Then there, I guess. I see a couple of hands are Councillor MacArthur first.
Councillor Donald McArthur I know that I received a note earlier today from somebody who wanted to speak on the pickleball issue. I’m not sure if they’re in the audience tonight. And I had informed them that sometimes counsel waives the rules. So we just we just need to know if anybody, I want to hear from pickleball players if they’re here tonight.
Mayor Michael Prue Councillor Pouget.
Councillor Diane Pouget Thank you and Nancy Atkinson had requested to speak and she’s here tonight and I understand she wants to speak to also.
Mayor Michael Prue Okay, all right. And again, I’ve heard those two but before we deal with them, I understand that the clerk who was on Zoom tonight had had something he wishes to inform council about.
Clerk Certainly, so, yeah, in terms of Ms. Atkinson’s delegation requests. So we have received an initial request, was not complete. And then more fulsome submission was provided although it still lacks considerable detail. So we did provide that that would be held in advance and could come forward from the next meeting should sufficient detail be provided. So certainly, that is still in the works and is still working its way through the procedural bylaw in accordance with councils direction.
Mayor Michael Prue All right. So now I Councillor Courtney.
Peter Courtney Through you to the clerk. Yes, I too have spoken with Mrs. Atkinson. She told me the back and forth that was required. I guess my question to you is how descriptive; are we looking? Are we looking for a template that says, Hi, my name is so and so, and they got to read exactly verbatim. What? Because we can all read that on the agenda. But again, I’m confused on what protocols and procedures to be a delegate but to me the way it was explained and again I’m not taking any sides here. It seemed pretty robust and stringent on expectation. So for instance, I could submit something a one paragraph say this is what I want to say to council. And that’s all I want to present. And then they get to the lectern and they can pretty well add lib or go off of questions and answers and all those other things and really speak about anything they want. And there’s not really too much we can do. So I guess in regards to the scrutinizing or screening of delegations, what realistically is needed by law to allow our residents to speak freely in our democratic society? That’s all.
Clerk yeah. Certainly the you know, our office does take that seriously as civic participation is, you know, sort of what we do. The original submission itself did not even include the subject matter for which the delegate wished to present. That was provided, but of course that was provided after the agenda had been created. And was outside of the timeline. So certainly, any submission should at least speak to what it is that the member wishes to discuss. And usually it would include some sort of proposal or action item for council on that matter, so
Peter Courtney I can, I can appreciate that. So if she was trying to be a delegate, and she sent the information off, but you knew the intention was to be a delegate for this. Could we not assume is it appropriate content for this council to hear tonight, since this was the desire of the resident, now that you have it even if it’s after the protocol, because we waive the rules, we’re going to waive it for pickleball and this person tried to actually follow the process and procedures.
Mayor Michael Prue It’s at the discretion of Council and we haven’t waived, we haven’t I’m going to deal with both of them, one after the other. Okay. So if Council wishes to waive the requirements, the clerk is telling you what the requirements are and that they were not met but Council can waive them and so I’m going to deal first of all, with a request of Councillor MacArthur, to waive the requirements to hear deputants on Pickleball is that your motion? Is there a seconder to that? Councillor Crain? Is there any discussion on that? All those in favour? That’s carried. We’ll now hear the residents, any of you who wish to speak on the pickleball issue?
