THOROLD - Councillor Jim Handley has been enjoying his winter months in the Dominican Republic, which is why he has been attending council meetings via Zoom.
After receiving complaints from several Thorold residents, Councillor Anthony Longo put a motion on the floor at last night’s city council meeting that would mandate councillors to attend meetings in person again.
“What this motion is about is simply making our regular schedule council meetings more productive, professional and proficient,” said Councillor Longo. “This is not about us, it is about the people we serve. COVID-19 let to the introduction of remote meetings. Now remote meetings have become a convenience. That convenience comes at a cost and I think we can do better.”
The proposed motion would only allow for electronic participation in the case of disability, illness, work obligations outside the municipality, inclement weather or the need to care for a sick family member.
Councillor Longo stressed that the motion was not aimed at a specific councillor, but that didn’t stop Councillor Handley from feeling singled out.
“I don’t believe it fosters better communication,” Councillor Handley told his fellow council members. “Before Tuesday’s meetings I already have made up my mind half the time and half of the councillors don’t talk to me anyways.”
During his rebuttal, Councillor Handley said he is not an employee of the city but “an employee of the people.”
“Therefore legally, if I say I’m doing it for medical reasons, this can not be questioned and legally I can not be obligated to divulge any medical documentation..for it would be legally defined as an invasion of one’s privacy,” he said.
Other councillors think that it's too late in the council term to make changes to the city’s bylaw concerning council meetings.
“This should be known to a councillor before they’re elected,” said Councillor Mike De Divitiis. “If we’re going to apply this, it should be on the next term.”
“I don’t want to be held in a position where I’m holding other councillors accountable,” agreed Councillor Henry D’Angela. “At the end of the day, if a councillor chooses to run in the next election, the public will hold them accountable to their decisions and what they’ve done.”
Councillor Ken Sentance asked if the motion could be amended to include vacation time.
“I hate missing meetings so I don’t want to miss a meeting and say, ‘I’m on vacation, I can’t go’ because I’m still eligible,” he said.
But Councillor Longo was not willing to budge on the wording of his motion.
“You know what? If you have a vacation, enjoy your vacation with your family,” he said. “The city will run without any of us. It’s the way council has run for decades in Thorold before Covid.”
Before a vote was called, Councillor Handley gave one last rebuttal.
“The issue with this motion, I believe, is discrimination,” he said. “If the policy changes are seen as unfairly targeting a specific individual, it can raise concerns about selective enforcement and discrimination...To me this motion is redundant. You can pass it all you want. I continue the practice as I have in the past, and I will state for medical reasons. If you want to pursue the matter further, all the best to you.”
In the end, council voted against the motion. And thus, Councillor Handley gets to continue his holiday in the Dominican Republic.
“For information purposes, I will not be attending the March 18 meeting in person for medical reasons and I will not attend the June 17 meeting in person because of personal reasons,” he said.
