It should not have come as a surprise as Whitby Councilors voted in favor of the Direct Election of The Regional Chair.
Yes Everyone, Even Milk Carton Pat who was at this meeting voted yes to listening to the voters from the last election.
There were a few Deputations at the Special meeting of Council, each supporting their reason for and against. But in the end the vote that mattered most was yours the Voters of Whitby. You mandated what you wanted your councilors to vote and they had no choice but to pass the resolution.
Congratulations Council for listening!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Mayor "Milk Carton Pat's" trip to France ruffles feathers as Reported By Parvaneh Pession
- Parvaneh Pessian
- |
- May 26, 2012 - 4:30 AM
- |
Whitby mayor's trip to France ruffles feathers on council
Members should have been informed prior to the trip, deputy mayor argues
Whitby mayor's trip to France ruffles feathers on
council. WHITBY -- Mayor Pat Perkins says she wasn't attempting to
conceal from council details of her trip to France in March for an international
real estate trade show. The mayor was part of a local delegation that attended
the event to help draw foreign investors to Durham. May 22, 2012. Metroland
file photo
The only thing I'd argue with is that I should have known and
indeed, council should have not only been aware but should have had some input.
Councillor Joe Drumm
Regional Councillor and Deputy Mayor Joe Drumm brought up the matter at a May 7 meeting, citing his concern with the lack of communication to council members prior to the trip in March. He said he was "deeply hurt and embarrassed" after hearing from a resident at a coffee shop that the mayor was in France, and not from the head of council herself.
"I've spent 35 years on this council and for someone to come and say to me, 'You're a fine deputy mayor, you don't know what the hell's going on', really hurt me," said Coun. Drumm.
"I had no problem with her going," said Coun. Drumm, in an interview with This Week, following the meeting.
"The only thing I'd argue with is that I should have known and indeed, council should have not only been aware but should have had some input."
Coun. Drumm filled in for Mayor Perkins at a March 5 council meeting while she was in France for an international real estate trade show. This year's event, held from March 6 to 9, attracted nearly 20,000 participants, including more than 4,000 real estate investors.
The mayor said she had phoned Coun. Drumm on March 4 -- the night before the council meeting she would be absent from -- to ask him to fill in for her. It was a brief exchange during which he consented without inquiring into why she would be away, she said.
"It was a very quick conversation, really, so he didn't ask (and) I didn't tell him ... there was no intent to not speak of it; it just was not part of the discussion."
Mayor Perkins said she was confused at the implication that she was trying to conceal details of a trip that was so widely attended by representatives from across the province. The local delegation at the event included Regional Chairman Roger Anderson, Kathy Weiss, the Region's director of economic development and tourism, and Cindy Symons-Milroy, director of economic development for the City of Oshawa.
"There was no secret about it; look at all the people that were there," said Mayor Perkins, adding she was simply doing her job to help boost economic growth in Whitby and informed council about the results of the trip via e-mail, upon her return.
"You don't miss opportunities like that if you can avoid it ... economic development is high on our list and the foreign direct investment strategy that everybody's going into right now is (what) we're all focusing (on)."
There is no legislation or policy in place that requires the mayor to advise members of council on her schedule, according to Town of Whitby Clerk Debi Wilcox. About $8,000 in travel and accommodation expenses for the trip was paid out of the Town's economic development and marketing budget. Registration for the mayor was covered by the event organizers.
"It should be noted the attendance by the mayor provided the Town with access to special sessions that we otherwise would not have had access to," said Ms. Wilcox.
Whitby's commissioner of community and marketing services, Peter LeBel, who accompanied the mayor to France, said the Town is currently following up with an investment lead from the event.
"We were there for the purpose of marketing the municipality, as was the Province there to market the province, for investment attraction purposes," he said.
Mr. LeBel said the mayor's presence at the event played a key role in securing the lead, which he declined to comment further on.
"There were meetings that included investors and developers that if you weren't a head of council, you had no opportunity to be there, so that was very, very important."
Reporter Parvaneh Pessian covers the town of Whitby for Metroland Media Group's Durham Region Division
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Special Meeting Of Council
Early meeting would you not say!
Instead of discussing just have a vote and put this Dinosaur to bed!
Hopefully Milk Carton Pat attends this meeting!
Special Meeting of Council
Details:
When: Tuesday May 29th, 2012 - 6:00pm
Where: Whitby Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby ON
Contact Name: Town Clerk
Contact Tel: (905) 430-4315
Contact Email: clerks@whitby.ca
Description: Note(s): Minutes will be posted at a later date.
Purpose: To review the request from the Region of Durham with respect to the Regional Chair Election By-law and the lower-tier municipalities being requested to pass resolutions consenting to the by-law on or before September 1, 2012.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Milk Carton Pat
Seems "Milk Carton" Pat is trying to hide the facts again according to Davina Jones our
"Council meeting Monday May 7…the part that people are talking about: the first unsettling thing I noted was that during a discussion on economic development, Councillor Drumm mentioned that 3600 jobs have been lost in Whitby and I felt that the Mayor’s response was extremely unprofessional. This was surprising to me because it seemed that everyone on the “TV stage” were on their best behaviour in front of the cameras. Councillor Drumm next raised the issue of the $94K (which we know was infrastructure money that was re-directed from much needed projects to the performing arts feasibility study), this was in September 2009. Councillor Drumm also mentioned another study for performing arts that was convened in 2010. Peter Lebel advised that the results of these studies will be available before the summer. Apparently the studies are going to pinpoint a site (whether taxpayers want it or not and can afford it or not doesn’t seem to be of concern). Then Councillor Drumm commended the Mayor for going to France to find economic opportunities, but mentioned that he was embarrassed that as Deputy Mayor he was not advised that the Mayor was leaving the country and that, Councillor Drumm was taken back when a member of the public approached him in a coffee shop asking why he wasn’t in France with the mayor. The Mayor, who doesn’t appear to want to answer some things, became openly hostile. She tried to turn it around by saying that Councillor Drumm didn’t have the courage to come to her when to me that was exactly what she had done to him by taking off the way she did. It was rather stunning to watch the mayor behave in what I felt was a very unprofessional manner. The lack of respect was surprising, especially when you consider that Councillor Drumm has been one of the best, most trustworthy, hard working and caring Councillors representing the taxpayers of Whitby admirably for over 35 years now. It just further goes to demonstrate what I have been telling everyone…TRANSPARENCY, MY FANNY!"
The above post is not necessarily the opinion of the Administrator of this site! But damn close!!!!!
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