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Volume 3, Issue 29
Weekend Weather Thursday
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www.southpointsun.ca
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Council rejects outside operational review By Bill Chaplin
Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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As reported from Environment Canada www.weatheroffice.gc.ca Harrow AAFC
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At the July 23 Leamington Municipal Council meeting a notice of motion authored by Deputy-Mayor Charlie Wright was introduced to be debated and decided at the next council meeting. A notice of motion is a motion created by one member of the council, seconded by another member, and introduced in the agenda of the meeting that precedes its actual consideration. It is not an item of ‘business-as-usual’ generated by administration. So what is this notice of motion? On the face of it, it is simply a motion to hire consultants to do an “Operational Review”, and its justification is included in the motion: “The Municipality needs to have the right organizational structure, mix and number of positions that reflect its current 2012 needs and functions ensuring delivery of the most efficient cost effective service to the residents of the Municipality.” At Monday’s Municipal Council meeting, August 13, the deputy-mayor introduced the motion, suggesting that he hoped preparation for the review could be done in the fall so that the review could start as early in 2013 as possible. “I think it’s good business practice”, he stated, going on to say that the Town of Essex just completed one and would benefit from the results of the review. In contrast to the exact wording of the notice of motion, Deputy-Mayor Wright indicated to council that oversight and guidance of the process would be provided by Leamington’s CAO, Bill Marck (who was absent from the meeting). The majority of council members supported the idea of an operational review to be done by consultants in 2013, but it is another area of the motion that caused eyebrows to rise a bit. That section says, “an outside consulting firm that is selected by Municipal Council. This firm reports directly and only to the Council and has an “arms length” dealings with any employees of the Municipality.” Councillor Chopchik noted the wording, saying, “To me that’s micromanagement. Because of the way it’s written I will not support it.” This sentiment was also conveyed by Councillor Rick Atkin who seconded the notice of motion to get it before council. “Sometimes you get into trouble reading between the lines... I don’t feel comfortable with this motion as it’s written”, he said. When it came his turn to comment, Mayor John Paterson was even more blunt: “The way it’s written there isn’t enough ink to make it right.” After administration explained to council that the CAO was already prepared to report on doing an administrative review in 2013 and would bring this forward before the end of the year without any further direction from council, the vote was taken and the motion was defeated.
Dancers from Toronto took centre stage.
Celebrating the Caribbean
Council supports Sun Parlour Players Leamington Council has voted to contribute $59,650 to Phase II of the Bank Theatre reconstruction contingent upon the Sun Parlour Players being successful in their application to the Federal Government for a grant. Leamington’s participation is crucial to the applications success, since it proves municipal support of the project. The funds for the support to the players will come from a bequest from the Collins Estate and so will not create any new tax burden on the municipality.
Steel band music filled the streets. (SUN Photos)
The Migrant Worker Community Program hosted a Caribbean Festival on Sun. Aug. 12 on Queens Avenue in uptown Leamington. The event was open to the public and admission was free. Entertainment included a steel drum band, Calypso dancers, a DJ, and dance contest and limbo contest. Refreshments and delicious Caribbean food were also available. The purpose of hosting this festival is to celebrate the Caribbean culture and help strengthen the cultural bridges between the Caribbean migrant workers and the communities in Essex County.
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