fter reading a Newspaper report about efforts by the township’s economic development department to take legal action, councillor Dan Yake wants to know what procedures were taken and why council was not informed.
“The way I read it, legal proceedings had been pushed forward,” Yake said after reading Newspaper reports, including one in the Advertiser recently. “Does our staff have the ability to start legal proceedings without letting us, council, know what’s going on?”
In the May 31 story the Advertiser reported the township had contacted a lawyer with the request to issue a “cease and desist” order on what was being termed a breach of the township’s Butter Tart Trail trademark.
The story was based on an interview with the township’s tourism, marketing and promotion manager April Marshall, who said the issue was brought to a lawyer after it was discovered a similar program – “The Butter Tart Tour” – was launched in the Kawarthas.
“We feel that’s an infringement of our Butter Tart Trail,” Marshall said in the story.
Business economic manager Dale Small told council at its June 3 meeting, he understood a letter had been sent to a law firm.
Small said he could not recall if the matter was brought up at an economic development committee meeting and believed Marshall may have gotten advice from a senior staff member to look into legal proceedings.
“A letter has been sent,” Small confirmed.
He assured Yake he will look into the procedure that was followed.
