All Windsor Council Meetings Are Cancelled

Windsor Council ratified last Monday night another vote that was done secretly. Not a biggie, like the work of art/sign, just in relation to the Mayor's Youth Town Hall meeting at Devonshire Mall.

• "To expedite approval of the requirement for the City of Windsor to sign the "Temporary Occupancy Licence Agreement", the Deputy Clerk conducted a poll of Councillors on Thursday, October 13, 2005 requesting that approval be given to the Chief Administrative Officer and the City Clerk to sign the agreement, satisfactory in form and content to the City Solicitor.
  
  The poll resulted in the following: eight councillors indicating approval of entering into the agreement; two councillors were not available during the poll."

To "expedite" is so important in a democracy isn't it? More important than following the Procedural By-law that the Mayor is so proud to enforce when a member of the public dares speak beyond the allotted 5 minutes as an example.

At the least, I am so glad to see that Council is ratifying its recent "secret" votes so that the public if it wishes may speak about the subject. Interestingly, what happens if the public does not like what was done before it has had a chance to speak. It makes the whole exercise somewhat redundant doesn't it? Oh well, the Star and Gord Henderson may not do stories again attacking the Mayor. I told you he would learn his lesson. Norma Coleman can rest easy.

There is an issue in my mind whether the process used is "legal" and can even be ratified since the City's Procedural By-law has specific requirements re "special meetings."

I asked the Mayor and Councillors if they would let me know the date when the Schwartz Report ratification vote would take place so that I might be a Delegation. It was done in secret too. I won't hold my breath though waiting for an answer.

In thinking about it, since Council handles all of the important matters in camera or by "polling" and really only discusses issues like CarTunes, feral cats, pit bulls and circuses in public, who needs public Council meetings.

Accordingly, I move that, to "expedite" matters, all public Council meetings be cancelled for the rest of this Council's term. All in favour say "Aye." Carried unanimously.

PS. Will the ratification "hat trick" be approving retaining a lawyer to consider causing problems for the City of Detroit/Bridge Co. deal on anti-trust allegations? I hope there was a big explanation on the Blackberrys about the legal risks involved too.