In the wake of the delivery of the E4M Integrity Commissioner's report into it's investigation into 102 separate alleged breaches of the Elliot Lake's Code of Conduct and/or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCOIA) against six Elliot Lake City Council members and one Commissioner, Tammy Van Roon, a council procedural bylaw change may be coming.
This week, Councillor Ed Pearce is planning to introduce procedural bylaw changes he hopes would improve council decorum. He'll do it at Council's next regular meeting, Tuesday night.
There, he's set to present his proposed amendment which would specifically forbid Councillors from walking out of meetings without permission, thus derailing votes.
Here's the Amendment: "Whereas Council desires to ensure orderly and efficiently run.Council.meetings; And Whereas Council.desires to maintain decorum and courtesy at all times; And whereas Council desires to ensure a thorough debate on all matters that come before Council; Now Therefore it is recommended that Council amend Bylaw 16-6 Part III (Procedures of Council and its Committees - Rules of Order and Debate Paragraph 26. No Member shall) by adding the following:
"(7) Vacate their seat at the Council table without the express permission of the Chair."
In an accompanying submission to City Clerk Natalie Bray, dated October 11, Pearce wrote; "My rationale for the proposed change to the Procedural By-Law are as follows: Councillors who leave the Council Chamber without permission of the Chair are inhibiting the inherent rights of Council for a fulsome and honest debate on the issues. Quite often it is for nothing more than for the purpose of denying Council a quorum and thus stifling debate. This amendment will prevent the use of this undemocratic tactic."
He added, "The Integrity Commissioner’s Interim Report specifically stated that getting up and leaving in the middle of a meeting is “grandstanding.” This amendment will prevent such actions in the future."
"Our current Code of Conduct states; “No member shall; (5) Disobey the rules of the Council or a decision of the Chair on questions of order or practice or the interpretation of the rules." He noted.
Pearce concluded, "Finally, and in my opinion, most importantly, it is no more than good manners to ask for permission to be excused."
In it's preliminary report, tabled on September 12, E4M found two complaints, one each against Councillors Sandy Finamore and Norman Mann, to be unsubstantiated, regarding their departures from a meeting of Council, on March 6.
At that time, Council was considering purchase of a portion of the former Algo Centre Mall property at 151 Ontario Avenue, which it subsequently bought as the future site of the long planned Community Hub project.
Council has also deferred any discussion of possible sanctions against those Council Members who.had allegations against them substantiated by E4M in its overview report. Those decisions may come at the Elliot Lake Council meeting set for later this month, on.October 28.