Anyone who wants to ensure all members of council are aware of written concerns should address them to “mayor and council” and not to individual council members, council here has been advised.
CAO Brad McRoberts clarified the township’s policy on placing correspondence on the agenda for council meetings at the May 24 meeting, after some councillors expressed confusion about the protocols.
At the May 10 meeting councillor Michael Martin noted some items he’s heard inquiries about “haven’t made it on the agenda” and asked, “how are we deciding what makes it onto the agenda?”
McRoberts explained in a written report that current policy states, “All correspondence received by the township or the mayor that reads ‘mayor and council’ is directed to all members of council and shall be so circulated to all council with the next regular agenda unless it is of an urgent nature as determined by the mayor or CAO.
“If time is of the essence the CAO/Clerk will determine the appropriate course of action with appropriate follow-up via a council meeting process,” explained McRoberts in the report.
Correspondence sent to a specific councillor or the mayor can continue to be addressed on an individual basis or forwarded onto appropriate staff for direct response with no need to be included in the agenda, the report explains.
Responses provided that are copied to all of council for information purposes are not required to be put on the agenda, the report continues.
“For example, if the mayor was asked some specific questions and staff assisted the mayor in providing a response and the response was copied to all council for information, then the response would not be required to be placed on the agenda,” the report states.
Other correspondence not required to be placed on public meeting agendas includes:
– items of a legal nature, subject to litigation or solicitor-client privilege, which may be addressed through a closed session meeting of council; or
– other circumstances which are deemed appropriate by the clerk.
In the report, McRoberts also reminds councillors that they as individuals cannot provide direction to staff or make commitments on behalf of the township.
Transparency
“All such inquiries should be, at a minimum, copied to the CAO,” he notes, adding that councillors can initiate direction or action from council through a notice of motion provided at a meeting.
The report was received as information by council.
“It’s just transparency and communication,” commented Mayor Neil Driscoll.
