Rules? What rules?

This one is short and sweet. Our Council is supposed to abide by a few dozen sets of rules. One substantial one is their own Procedural Bylaw.

It is filled with rules that are actually mandated by superior legislation. The Municipal Act is one of those pieces of legislation. They don’t care.

Many of these rules are to protect the public and ensure that regardless of a councils wishes, certain notices and rules of conduct are put in place so that public engagement is easy.

So, if you plan to have a meeting, you are supposed to post that Agenda 48 hours in Advance. There is a Special Council meeting on May 8, 2024 at 3PM. I have been to the Town Website tonight 39 hours before the meeting. Guess what? No agenda. I started checking at 3:00 today.

The reason agendas are to be posted is so that concerned citizens can check the agenda and see if it contains agenda items important to them. Then they can attend, write in, ask to speak on a matter, etc. Some Councils don’t want you there!

Now, this Thursdays meeting should be a no brainer to have posted the Agenda the moment it was scheduled. Why, you may ask? Well, “Special” council meetings cannot be scheduled without a 2/3 vote from Council petitioning to hold the meeting.

Further, once that meeting is scheduled NOTHING can be added to that agenda. It should be a meeting solely dealing with the issues that caused the “Special” meeting to be called. This meeting has been on the Calendar a while now. The Agenda should have been posted the moment the meeting was scheduled.

So… why doesn’t the agenda for this meeting show up within the 48 hour limit? Well, I will let you be the judge after we eventually find out what is on the agenda. Will the entire meeting except the opening and the rising report be in camera?

I have NEVER seen a Council so filled with secrets while promoting themselves as “open and transparent”.

I won’t bother asking the Town about this as they refuse to address my concerns. I guess they fear that my questions will force uncomfortable answers.