Progress?

The great "Experiment in new democracy" has begun. In an admirable attempt to make history meet democratic function Cobourg Council has decided to play in the "Old Bailey" replica courtroom bequeathed to Cobourgers many years ago. But after seeing the players at work, despite a superb effort by Lorraine Brace and John Grozelle, of the Town, to equip the room with all the latest electronic gizmos (at a cost of $42,000, awarded in a sole source contract) the attempt failed to impress this lover of conversation and procedure. Looking at the picture I am reminded of a Supreme Court dressed in 'mufti' (a British Army slang term used to describe scruffy non uniform dress - civilian clothes!) A committee by its very definition is supposed to be a less formal meeting of convened people meeting to discuss topics in an informal way. This arrangement is no less formal than a regular council meeting, in fact the Chair of the committee was addressed many times, by various speakers as "Your Worship" when in fact he bore the title of "Chair". The main complaint of this setting is that, as in the ten year period prior to this move, when Council moved from the committee room at the back of the Council chamber to the Council chamber, basic organisational development has been ignored in designing committee meetings. Committee meetings are fora where members can debate, argue and generally speak to each other as they would in the backyard, forcefully and with dignity. In order to do this you have to have members at least being able to face the person you are discussing items with, hence the term - "sit down at the table". In this new forum nobody can see any body else let alone make conversation and therefore only statements can be made not polemic points of argument or debate. I am convinced that if all were to sit at the same table not only would a greater sense of teamwork develop but the level of animosity would be less, after all if the obese councillor at the west end of the bench wanted to speak to the other end and wake the comatose one at the other end, up with insults (they wouldn't in real life as they share many pursuits including the quaffing of ale) it is very easy to stare into the audience and do so. Try that around a round table and it may never happen.
Summary: things to like; the white board and the projector - it allows all to share the grand design, dislikes; the seating arrangement for councillors, the acoustics (mic problems, tinny sound and reverberations) and the lack of collegiality expected in a committee meeting.

Cobourg has been breaking the Procedural rules for nearly 25 years. Ever since the election of 1985 where Major Angus Read assumed the Mayoralty the procedure of committee meetings has been perverted to allow the Mayor to behave incorrectly. In an examination of Robert's Rules of Order, the final arbiter of procedure and decorum for public meetings and bodies the BurdReport has concluded that the practice of the Mayor being the Chair of the committee of the whole breaches common committee procedure.
Prior to 1985 it was the usual practice to follow the action laid out in Robert's Rules. The section outlining this is in the pic on the right and the Deputy Mayor (the Reeve) chaired executive meetings. In 1985 at the first executive committee meeting of the new Council the Major sat up straight, at the head of the table, clasped the gavel of office in his right hand and never let go. The practice was established. Instead of making motions from the table he declared them from the Chair. The precedent was set and has never been challenged or questioned in public.
Basically the idea of the sitting President of a governing body (in our case the Town) not being in the Chair of the Committee of the Whole is to be able to prevent him from being in the unfortunate position of having to rule on his own rulings, made in committee, when they come the main body for further discussion and disposal. A wise practice and one not seen in Cobourg for 25 years.

In a situation where the citizens may have won one Cramahe Twp took on big business and may win. In a dispute about the siting of a telecommunications tower local Councillor Ed Van Egmond vigorously supported a constituent in the dispute. The big business Barret Xplornet may be forced to find an alternate site. Describing the dispute and subsequent pushback is hyperlocal newsman Bob Owen of CramaheNow in this story - well done Bob

Timmies is coming to Town......again! In a presentation to Council yesterday proponents of a shopping plaza, to be built on the corner of Wilmott and King Sts. it was revealed that the lynch-pin of the development will not be the 35,000 sf grocery store (in fact that may never get built) but a Tim Hortons coffee shop. The developers, Goldmanco, plan to start construction sometime next year. I guess this location puts the boots to local businessman Lou Peter's dream of a timmies on his corner at Brook and King.

Train Spotting may be coming to Cobourg. Train Spotting is the practice of watching trains and keeping track of train numbers, times and other railway experiences, but the hobby has been the topic of derogatory remarks for years. Wikipedia puts it this way "trainspotting is seen by many of the individuals who are not themselves involved with the hobby as being virtually synonymous with "dull" and "geeky", and the term has gained an ulterior meaning as any sort of activity that appears pointless to outsiders."
In the discussion about the new VIA Rail construction programme the Company was invited to come and tell Cobourg what it intends to to do. At this point a couple of councillors asked that a list of questions be drawn up. Councilor MacDonald, who obviously understands this sub-culture (probably among many) asked that VIA Rail be asked to construct a "Spotting Platform" thus making Cobourg a premier spotting place.