Residents attending the Elliot Lake council meeting Monday evening, were genuinely mystified when without explanation, the council took a quick vote and dismissed themselves to the committee room for a closed session meeting.
As is the usual practice, hard copy (paper) agenda was available for the public at the meeting however, it did not indicate that any items would go into a closed session. And the vote to go into closed was 'quick' because of a new process.
On Mar. 25, council approved a staff report from the Deputy Clerk & Accessibility Coordinator. The staff report described the new process, "Going forward all closed session items will be listed under the heading Closed Session with one resolution to discuss the items in closed session."
Missing from the paper version, the website version of the agenda listed two items:
- 17.1 Re: Letter of Intent for 255 Highway 108
- 17.2 Re: 151 Ontario Avenue
255 Highway 108, is the vacant property beside Tim Horton's where the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre was located until a roof collapse in 2019; 151 Ontario Avenue is the site former Algo Mall which suffered a structural collapse in 2012.
255 Hwy 108
255 Hwy 108 is regarded by many Elliot Lakers as a valuable public asset - whether for the location of a municipal building or as property to attract commercial investment.
When it was brought forward at council's first regular meeting, Nov. 28, 2022, the staff report stated, "Staff received two proposals ..."
At that meeting, veteran Couns. Mann stated, "I just want to make it clear to the community that we’re not discussing two items tonight regarding this. We’ll be discussing three.”
Is this the 'third expression of interest'?
Regarding another closed session discussion about 255 Hwy 108 on Jan. 30, 2023, a recent letter from the Ombudsman of Ontario investigating the meeting stated, "The Clerk told my Office that council discussed two proposals from potential land purchasers." The Ombudsman's report is here.
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