By Pepper Parr
March 29th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
It was a 37 minute city council meeting with just six of the seven Councillors in attendance – Paul Sharman had sent his regrets
Of that 37 minutes 18 were spent by the council members talking about what was happening in their wards. The new procedural bylaw limits Councillor comments to either three mentions or three minutes. Six Councillors present – 3 minutes each = 18 minutes.
Council members seem to have lost their tongues.
The Mayor had earlier eaten up about 12 minutes handing out certificates of appreciation to members of the Eagles and Barracuda hockey teams for their efforts in the annual Giving Back event that brings in food that gets passed along to the different food banks in the city.
During the regular business of the city – not one Councillor said a word other than Meed Ward who put her colleagues through two recorded votes – where they all had to stand up and be counted because the city hasn’t managed to make the electronic voting work for them. The Board of Education has figured out how to make electronic voting work for them.
They discussed passing a bylaw that will allow the building of 11 townhouses on what is now 2360, 2364, and 2368 New Street – close to the library. Three houses will be torn down to allow the 11 town houses to get built – that’s what intensification is all about – no back yards.
Council approved the appointment of Mr. Dave Kerr, Ms. Sherry Smith and Ms. Trish Volker by the City of Burlington to the Burlington Hydro Electric Board commencing at the Annual General Meeting of the corporation being held April 24, 2017.
Six by laws were passed.
