Sunday, February 26, 2012

E-Mail From The Mayor

Mayor Dawe has given me permission to publish an e-mail that answers questions asked on this blog
*****************
Dear ... ... ......
I see that both Councillor Able & Pirri have responded to your email, so I will not duplicate what they have already said.

However, I do wish to point out one very significant (so I believe) fact, and that is to do with my attendance at the Cultural Centre Board meetings.

You are correct - I do have a standing invitation to attend these meetings, and I do attend them (with the exception of the last one due to a last minute conflict).

Unfortunately, the assumption that I attend therefore that should be sufficient to satisfy the needs of Council is incorrect. The invitation from the President of the Board clearly stated that "discussions at our meetings are confidential" and "you will not have voting privileges" In other words, I have no input on any decision at the Board and further, I am precluded from reporting back to Council on what happened at the Board meeting.

Indeed, when this invitation came to me I spoke with our Town Solicitor, and his advice was not to accept, as he felt that my attendance at the meeting would give the defacto appearance that I was supporting the Board and their actions. Obviously, he has just been proven correct. However, I made the decision that I would attend, because I felt it was important to start the communication. Further, I would like to point out that this invitation came 6 months after I initiated discussions.

My goal has been to negotiate and it still is. However, negotiation requires at least 2 willing partners.

I hope this helps explain some of your concerns. But, if not, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Best regards,
Geoff

No comments:

Post a Comment