By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
The County of Essex will consult with its boards and committees – such as the Essex County Library and the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) – to consider recording and posting their meetings online.
County admin will return with a report on the willingness and ability to do so.
The intention is to allow members of the public to become more engaged and educated on their matters.
The decision was made through a majority vote – with Leamington Mayor/Warden Hilda MacDonald, Leamington Deputy Mayor Larry Verbeke, and Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara opposed – at the February 18 meeting.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy first presented the resolution for County Council members as a Notice of Motion at the February 4 meeting.
Bondy’s original motion was to have County Administration request that boards and committees on which members of County Council serve consider recording and then posting meetings online. After deliberation on the matter, a few friendly amendments were made to create the motion that was carried.
“Not everybody in our community can get to our meetings, so it would be good to bring our meetings to them,” Bondy said.
She also spoke of the importance of the regional landfill – an asset that local politicians often speak of the need to preserve, due to the cost of replacement. Other important factors often spoken about include what is put in the landfill – or should not be, such as batteries, organics diversion, and leachate.
“People – if they understand more of what we are doing, then they can buy-in to what we are doing here,” Bondy commented. “People want to come. People want to engage. It’s just not always convenient.”
She doesn’t believe the County can mandate its boards and committees to record and post their meetings, but that it is a good, healthy discussion to have.
A similar conversation took place at the Town of Essex last Term of Council, and now the Committee of Adjustment meetings are livestreamed, which can have contentious issues.
To her understanding, Bondy said the Essex County Library Board has been recording its meetings for a while, and will upload some of the past meetings to its YouTube channel.
LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche had “mixed feelings” on the motion.
Though she believes in transparency, “I feel that it inadvertently signals that there is mistrust towards our partner agencies, and they already follow established government practices,” Meloche said. She added if any can’t because of feasibility or other reasons, they could be unfairly criticized.
She’d rather have County administration consult with those boards and committees about the cost to record and post meetings online, before any public motion requires compliance.
Though there are County Council reps on the County’s board and committees, they are also comprised of private individuals, some of whom Meloche claimed “have taken offence, actually, to this motion and feel like we are not trusting the work they are doing, as well.”
County CAO Sandra Zwiers said the County does not have the authority to dictate what its boards and committees do. Therefore, the decision-making would rest with them.
Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue asked about the cost of boards and committees recording and posting their meetings online, and how much the County is willing to spend to do so. He doubted all the boards and committees would be able to afford it on their own. He wanted the boards and committee members to be consulted about the motion. He asked the administration to provide a report detailing what was heard from the reps on the committees and board.
Deputy Mayor of Tecumseh/Deputy Warden, Joe Bachetti, also wanted to consult with the boards and committees first.
He, however, noted that “If you sit on those boards, you are an elected public servant. So, if you don’t want to be seen by the public, then don’t apply to those boards.”
Often, they are open meetings, where anyone could attend.
Essex Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley liked the idea of asking them to consider recording and posting board and committee meetings online. He believed EWSWA and the Library Board both use the Council Chamber inside the Civic Centre for their meetings, which is already equipped to record meetings.
He also sits on the Board of Health, and noted they are public meetings with media present. He does not believe it would be feasible for that board to do so.
Shepley liked the idea. He believes the boards and committees are up front and straightforward. It helps County Councillors be able to find a meeting and get answers to relay to residents when asked.
Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers noted there are professionals sitting on those boards, and he would hate to lose that aspect on the committees. He hopes that it is a part of the discussion.
Lakeshore Deputy Mayor Kirk Walstedt pointed out the original motion was to ask the County’s boards and committees to consider recording and posting their meetings. The amendments took it further to consult and bring back a report to County Council