There were a few unhappy councillors at the end of Mondaysa国际传媒檚 (Apr.22) meeting following a failed attempt to reconsider pay raises voted on and passed a week ago.
Councillor Ron Cannan made the motion to reconsider which was supported by Coun. Mohini Singh.
sa国际传媒淐an we ask for greater clarity on why, we make so many decisions day in and day out, we need to reconsider this decision?sa国际传媒� asked Mayor Tom Dyas.
Cannan pointed out that he made a request at the end of last weeksa国际传媒檚 (Apr. 15) meeting that he wanted to be on the record as opposed to adopting the remuneration bylaw.
Dyas asked Cannan why he had a change of heart.
sa国际传媒淭here wasnsa国际传媒檛,sa国际传媒� Cannan replied. sa国际传媒淚 missed the vote it was my mistake. I waited until the end of the meeting so as not to disrupt proceedingssa国际传媒 asked to be on the record as being opposed. I was told I cansa国际传媒檛 because our council procedure bylaws require it to come back for reconsideration.sa国际传媒�
City clerk Laura Bentley confirmed that sa国际传媒渃ouncil may put forward a motion to reconsider a decision already made.sa国际传媒�
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During the Apr. 15 meeting, an item before the remuneration bylaw was removed from the agenda, which appeared to confuse some councillors as to which matter they were voting on.
sa国际传媒淚 made a mistake,sa国际传媒� admitted Coun. Rick Webber regarding the deleted item. sa国际传媒淚t had been taken off the agenda kind of on the fly and I hadnsa国际传媒檛 caught on to that, I was distracted.sa国际传媒�
Webber said by the end of that meeting he wondered if council actually voted on remuneration. sa国际传媒淚 had to go back and look at the tapes and saw indeed we did vote, and we all voted yes. It was later I realized I voted on the wrong thing.sa国际传媒�
Although, Webber added he did not see a need to reconsider the matter as the result is not likely to change.
Councillors Singh and Gord Lovegrove said they made similar mistakes. Singh said previously that she is not opposed to a raise, just the amount.
sa国际传媒淚 would like to see my vote documented as being against it, but I donsa国际传媒檛 have a big problem with it.sa国际传媒�
Lovegrove said he and his colleagues voted on something they missed.
sa国际传媒淲e were distracted, whatever words you want to use. Reconsideration could overturn that bylaw and thatsa国际传媒檚 not where Isa国际传媒檓 going with supporting this motion.sa国际传媒�
Coun. Loyal Wooldridge said that revisiting the decision would set a dangerous precedent.
sa国际传媒淚t is incumbent on us to be paying attention to the agenda and the clerk does a great job of ensuring where we are at in the agenda.sa国际传媒�
Lovegrove attempted to make a motion, citing a parliamentary rule that would allow council (with 75 per cent support) to amend the minutes of the Apr. 15 meeting to reflect the non-support of the four councillors.
Dyas didnsa国际传媒檛 allow that, prompting Cannan to call for a point of order and ask the city clerk if that was a possibility. Bentley noted that the minutes had already been adopted by council.
sa国际传媒淭he minutes reflect what transpired in the meetingsa国际传媒tsa国际传媒檚 not practice to amend them after the fact.sa国际传媒�
Dyas said in reviewing the video of the Apr. 15 meeting it was clear to him how councillors voted.
sa国际传媒淚 do not want to get into a practice of turning around and revisiting decisions especially when wesa国际传媒檙e dealing with major developments and if something gets into a 5-4 vote and want to change our vote at the end of a meeting I donsa国际传媒檛 want to set that precedent.sa国际传媒�
Council voted down Cannansa国际传媒檚 motion.
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