Council approves “DELEGATION RIGHTS”
Concern over DELEGATES’ SPEAKING RIGHTS
Just a concern over the motion approved tonight concerning new rules surrounding delegating before Pickering Council. Residents not having access to the motion put forth by Councillor Pickles and seconded by Councillor Nagy in a timely manner to the actual motion’s wording did not have adequate time to consider if they wanted to speak towards this motion was wrong. Second, what is to become of people that do not live in Pickering but do work 40 to 50 hours weekly within the boundaries of the City of Pickering? How about non residents of Pickering that own business(s) within the city of Pickering and do pay taxes to the city of Pickering?
Mike Borie
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REPLY: All Pickering taxpayers have the right to speak at Council Meetings as delegates
Hi Mike,
All these concerns are addressed in the text of the motion.
As Mayor Ashe read out, any and all taxpayers (including business owners) are able to delegate, no issue; for anyone with a concern about something before them who lives outside the city of Pickering (for example the delegation we had about stopping the use of rodenticides last year), they can email any member of council to seek to delegate, and can delegate with a mover and seconder.
If an issue at hand would impact a neighbouring resident, such as an Ajax resident in regards to a development for example, they will be given leave to delegate.
This motion is designed so that these exact examples you point out are given a genuine opportunity to speak and be heard.
Mara Nagy (she/her)
City Councillor | Ward 2
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REPLY: Response to Councillor Nagy
My concerns of not even knowing that this was going to be a motion in a timely manner, such as no notice at all as it was not contained in the agenda, made it so that I as a resident of Pickering was not able to even decide if I wanted to speak to the motion (delegate). Even the 2/3 vote by the council to allow the motion does not account for any resident voices as residents could not, were unable, to even contact their councillors before the meeting to express their questions and concerns. One may begin to wonder if Councillors have become mind readers and are able to know how all their residents would feel about this surprise motion. What happened tonight with the passing of this motion was very undemocratic, not at all transparent to residents, not timely and simply wrong. There was no urgency to pass this motion and could have been discussed at the next Council meeting. Thank you, those Councillors that voted for this motion, for removing my and many other residents’ voices concerning the surprise motion. Even the reading of the motion by Mayor Ashe was not clear as he stumbled on many words and phrases which to me and others certainly left the motion unclear. Listens to the recording when Mayor Ashe reads the motion as I have. Council should have given notice of a new motion at the end of the meeting as is correct method of presenting a new motion. Thank you, Mara Nagy, Kevin Ashe, David Pickles, Maurice Brenner, and Shaheen Butt, for removing my democratic chance to voice my opinion once again (residents have no idea what Councillor Cook feels with this issue because she was not in attendance).
Mike Borie
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RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights
Well said Mike . I find it rather hypocritical considering Pickering Council has allowed many delegates to speak in chambers from other areas when it serves them or adopted motions or letters from other regions like Aurora previously or St Catherine’s tonight.
Brenda Adams
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RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights
Mara
So that the public can better understand this motion could you please provide a copy of it for everyone to review.
Thank you.
Craig Bamford CPA, CA
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Good morning Craig,
Happy to do so – please find attached the motion as it reached all councillors’ supplemental information packages just ahead of our meeting yesterday evening.
Thanks!
Mara Nagy (she/her)
City Councillor | Ward 2
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RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights
Thank you Councillor Nagy for your reply. I and many other residents have expressed our concern to our elected representatives about the state of how Council meetings have deteriorated when certain issues are on the agenda. I also approve of certain requirements being placed on non-resident delegations to enable the Council to carry out the business of the day. The cost to the taxpayers of Pickering to allow outside delegates to waste precious time on matters that do not pertain to the agenda business must be stopped immediately. The motion introduced by Councillor Pickles addresses that concern. I just listened to the entire segment of the Council meeting of April 22,2024 in reference to delegations. Hopefully it will bring some semblance of sanity and decorum back to its rightful place in Council.
