"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack."
― Winston S. Churchill
A boy who cannot vote, a rambling lawyer, the woman talking about the bike path, and a taxpayers association president masquerading as a private citizen all offered dissenting voices. Throw in a persona non grata with his mouth duct taped-shut, but most of all an eloquent admirer of Churchill, and we had all the makings of North Bay's version of the Gilligan's Island theme.
In a development that some hailed as a victory for free speech and a defence of inalienable Charter rights, General Government Committee Chair Sheldon Forgette acquiesced on some of the more stringent amendments regarding public presentations at Council, and referred the draft of the by-law back to committee for "tweaking."
However, as City Clerk Karen McIsaac repeatedly pointed out during her presentation with City Solicitor Peter Leckie, the proposed amendments are just as advertised. They are proposals. The procedural by-law is reviewed on a regular basis. The amendments endorsed by McIsaac and Leckie are mere recommendations. Nothing is set in stone, and nothing will pass without a majority of support from Council.
For a recap of the proposed changes, click here.
Betty Dean, a former superintendent at the North Bay Jail, calmly sat before Council and proceeded to pick apart every fault she could find with the proposed amendments.
"In September, I read the media reports about the proposed changes at Council and my immediate thought was 'why?'" said Dean.
Dean announced that she had e-mailed all of the members of Council one month prior to Monday's meeting on the topic, and received only three responses, from Mayor Al McDonald, Coun. Chris Mayne, and Coun. Mark King.
Dean detailed her long list of unanswered questions on the matter, and then observed that "Churchill's oratorical wit would not survive the code of conduct."
"If your patience is wearing thin with specific presenters, ask yourselves why. What issue has not been addressed effectively?" proclaimed Dean.
Indicating that one month had passed since she posed these questions in written form, Dean cited recent unfavourable news for the city pertaining to business viability, property taxes, and increases in water and sewage rates.
"I'm here to suggest that Council has far more pressing concerns to deal with," said Dean.
"I happen to like Churchill's approach to things, and from his perspective, he said, 'Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen,' said Dean.
Dean received a rousing ovation from the gallery when she was finished.
Veteran Coun. George Maroosis, during the question period following the City's initial presentation, noted that "this is the first time we've reviewed the section on presentations, it's never been reviewed before. Not while I've been here anyway."
"It's a matter of trying to bring some order to the agenda, so Council can be informed," explained Leckie.
"You're not indicating that there was a huge problem with the way we were doing things? It was just a matter of review?" asked Maroosis.
"I don't know if it's a huge problem, when we look at the language of 'effectively and efficiently,' we're trying to bring recommendations to improve the by-law," replied Leckie.
Miles Peters, current president of the North Bay Taxpayers Association (NBTA), but appearing Monday ostensibly as a private citizen, spoke about the "arrogance and condescension toward the public at large to have to register every word that they will present."
"Keep an open forum in this city. We are sincere, and concerned," said Peters, and then, as though he was channelling energy from the muted Don Rennick, "We are well aware of a lot of things that have been done in secret that have no business being done in private chambers."
Deputy Mayor Forgette stopped Peters with the mention of "secret meetings," and he quickly completed his presentation.
Lawyer Lionel Rivet, a Rutherglen resident, began a diatribe that touched on the inner workings of all levels of government, with his objection to the silencing of Rennick.
Said Rivet, "North Bayites are to prepare an essay...for your review," before presenting at Council, and "I wish to remind you that in Canada there is a supreme law called the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"Assuming that your procedural guide allows you to throw people such as Mr. Rennick out on their ears, my respectful legal submission is that it is not worth the paper it's printed on," declared Rivet.
Gorman Street bicycle path opponent Monique Peters criticized the City website's user-friendliness and suggested a more concerted social media effort be employed to aid the City in its desire for transparency.
"We see only good things on the City's Facebook site, things that the media covers. It should be road closures, sewers, construction here, we've got a public meeting on this," she said.
Rennick spent the first part of the meeting seated in the gallery with duct tape covering his mouth, as a form of protest.
The Mayor seemed oblivious to any form of protest, non-verbal or otherwise.
"I focus on the meeting, and we have public meetings to listen to what the public has to say. The procedural by-law review is done every five years and we don't want to make any changes until we hear from the public first," said McDonald following the meeting.
"The recommendation coming out of committee for unlimited five-minute presentations, so any citizen can get up and make a presentation to Council, I think is very wise. I also agree that the public should be able to make an unlimited number of presentations. We want to be open and transparent," McDonald continued.
Rennick, post-meeting, and no longer muzzled, observed that he had protested silently because he is "not allowed to speak at Council."
Rennick also gave the opinion that many of the proposed amendments have come as a result of his dealings with City Council.
The NBTA treasurer also indicated that perhaps there would be a shift in how the message of the association is delivered. "I have no interest in appearing before Council because they don't listen. We've never gotten one answer. Council is not responding. We've definitely had discussions," on better utilizing social media.
Dean spoke to media in the hallway at City Hall following her impassioned speech.
Said Dean, "In a democratic society, people ought to be able to express their views to Council without all of the restrictions that they're suggesting."
Asked about her use of recent negative headlines in her presentation, Dean replied, "those are very serious issues and we're devoting a significant amount of time (to the by-law), and I understand a procedural by-law has to be reviewed, but the timing of this one seemed a bit odd, given the conflict with the taxpayers association."
Dean, in summation of the night's events, said, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."
