JUNE 18 MELANCTHON COUNCIL MEETING

I received an email update from someone who attended the June 18 Council meeting.

Here is what I was advised.

Bill was Chair, Debbie was absent and he ran a good meeting-kept things moving and on time. I know personally Debbie has a close family member who is very ill and our thoughts are with your family at this difficult time.

Question period was dealt with pretty good too-people got time to ask questions and for the most part received answers.

Garry Hunter on behalf of NDACT made a great presentation and called Council on not designating lands specialty crop. Council noted that Jerry Jorden, contract planner, had advised them they couldn't do that because OMAFRA hasn't set the criteria and Jorden advised Hunter that he couldn't designate lands in the OP until Council directs him. (More on this in tomorrow's post).

A ratepayer wanted to read into the minutes an article on health issues related to turbines and Bill made the difficult (but probably correct call) that this individual should book time and appear as a delegation to present this material. I was advised it appeared Bill struggled with this, not wanting to shut people down, but also sticking to questions at question period.

Then Bill clarified what had happened at the June 10, 2010 County Council regarding the rail decision. Bill's letter regarding his position on the rail line is posted on the June 4 posting.

Bill was able to attend the June 10 Council meeting (his letter had incated he might not be able to). The Banner however, reported that a motion Bill moved to hold a public meeting prior to County having a secret, I mean in-camera meeting, with the proponent, Highland Rail Group was lost.

Well that is true, but what the Banner didn't report quite as accurately was Robbing Adams, Mayor of Orangeville's motion was lost, which was to skip the public meeting (you know that transparency stuff and listening to ratepayers just slows the process down of him, I mean Orangeville, getting a$2 million bonus by using their weighted vote to ram through the County rail sale).

Honestly, whenever I think of his, I mean Orangeville's bonus being paid out by Highlands (in addition to their legal fees over the conflict of interest) I picture Robbing Adams like this:

He should be careful though because when you do this.....



counting your chickens before they are hatched...



You sometimes wind up with this.....







THEN another motion was passed which called for, you guessed it, a public meeting to be held BEFORE the secret meeting with Highlands Rail Group.

Watch for details on this blog for the date, time and place of the railway public meeting and then plan to attend.