There were a few unhappy councillors at the end of Monday乌鸦传媒檚 (Apr.22) meeting following a failed attempt to reconsider pay raises voted on and passed a week ago.
Councillor Ron Cannan made the motion to reconsider which was supported by Coun. Mohini Singh.
乌鸦传媒淐an we ask for greater clarity on why, we make so many decisions day in and day out, we need to reconsider this decision?乌鸦传媒� asked Mayor Tom Dyas.
Cannan pointed out that he made a request at the end of last week乌鸦传媒檚 (Apr. 15) meeting that he wanted to be on the record as opposed to adopting the remuneration bylaw.
Dyas asked Cannan why he had a change of heart.
乌鸦传媒淭here wasn乌鸦传媒檛,乌鸦传媒� Cannan replied. 乌鸦传媒淚 missed the vote it was my mistake. I waited until the end of the meeting so as not to disrupt proceedings乌鸦传媒 asked to be on the record as being opposed. I was told I can乌鸦传媒檛 because our council procedure bylaws require it to come back for reconsideration.乌鸦传媒�
City clerk Laura Bentley confirmed that 乌鸦传媒渃ouncil may put forward a motion to reconsider a decision already made.乌鸦传媒�
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During the Apr. 15 meeting, an item before the remuneration bylaw was removed from the agenda, which appeared to confuse some councillors as to which matter they were voting on.
乌鸦传媒淚 made a mistake,乌鸦传媒� admitted Coun. Rick Webber regarding the deleted item. 乌鸦传媒淚t had been taken off the agenda kind of on the fly and I hadn乌鸦传媒檛 caught on to that, I was distracted.乌鸦传媒�
Webber said by the end of that meeting he wondered if council actually voted on remuneration. 乌鸦传媒淚 had to go back and look at the tapes and saw indeed we did vote, and we all voted yes. It was later I realized I voted on the wrong thing.乌鸦传媒�
Although, Webber added he did not see a need to reconsider the matter as the result is not likely to change.
Councillors Singh and Gord Lovegrove said they made similar mistakes. Singh said previously that she is not opposed to a raise, just the amount.
乌鸦传媒淚 would like to see my vote documented as being against it, but I don乌鸦传媒檛 have a big problem with it.乌鸦传媒�
Lovegrove said he and his colleagues voted on something they missed.
乌鸦传媒淲e were distracted, whatever words you want to use. Reconsideration could overturn that bylaw and that乌鸦传媒檚 not where I乌鸦传媒檓 going with supporting this motion.乌鸦传媒�
Coun. Loyal Wooldridge said that revisiting the decision would set a dangerous precedent.
乌鸦传媒淚t is incumbent on us to be paying attention to the agenda and the clerk does a great job of ensuring where we are at in the agenda.乌鸦传媒�
Lovegrove attempted to make a motion, citing a parliamentary rule that would allow council (with 75 per cent support) to amend the minutes of the Apr. 15 meeting to reflect the non-support of the four councillors.
Dyas didn乌鸦传媒檛 allow that, prompting Cannan to call for a point of order and ask the city clerk if that was a possibility. Bentley noted that the minutes had already been adopted by council.
乌鸦传媒淭he minutes reflect what transpired in the meeting乌鸦传媒t乌鸦传媒檚 not practice to amend them after the fact.乌鸦传媒�
Dyas said in reviewing the video of the Apr. 15 meeting it was clear to him how councillors voted.
乌鸦传媒淚 do not want to get into a practice of turning around and revisiting decisions especially when we乌鸦传媒檙e dealing with major developments and if something gets into a 5-4 vote and want to change our vote at the end of a meeting I don乌鸦传媒檛 want to set that precedent.乌鸦传媒�
Council voted down Cannan乌鸦传媒檚 motion.
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