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on the dismissal of the Chair of the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. Well how about I just point you to the recent reporting on the issue in the Parry Sound North Star (April 23, 2014)? You can either read it in the newspaper or online (I prefer the paper version, it’s all in one place). There is an article, a letter to the editor, and an editorial (all above the fold) that do a great job of capturing the community reaction and response to the dismissal of Ms. McWalter.
One last thought. Parry Sound Town Council should repeal Resolution 2014 – 056, restore Ms. McWalter to the position of Chair of the Downtown Business Association, ask Councillor McCauley to swap his seat on the DBA Board with another councillor, and ask the DBA Board members who resigned from the board to return. Council did an about face with meters on Bay Street, they have reversed resolutions and by-laws, and I have seen councillors swap board and committee responsibilities. We all make mistakes and this is the season of sacrifice and forgiveness
It’s All Water Over the Dam? (Parry Sound in Black & White)
Great stuff! Your moral courage has made a difference! I think you should send a version of this letter of solution into the editorial letters of the paper.
Lynne
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Jo,
I have just recently discovered your blog and really appreciate it. My wife Katrine and I have been working thru the fog of Liz’s dismissal and her disapproval have been made public by her resignation from the DBA and her quoted comments in this weeks paper.
We are both wondering if there is a mechanism at council meetings for a group of community members to put forth an official motion to call for her reinstatement? If so would that be a worthwhile approach or a futile gesture?
I don’t believe there is a process for the public to put forward a motion at a meeting of Council. It is possible to put the request to Council, through a letter, and hope it ends up on the agenda. More likely it will simply be noted as a letter to council and then forwarded to Staff for follow up. I’m not sure how and when these requests get responded to. It would of course still make a point, particularly if it was signed by a number of Parry Sound residents.
The better way to make the point might be to appear at the next meeting of Council and make a deputation. This can be scheduled or it can be done impromptu at the meeting. As part of the deputation you should review your issues and/or concerns and make a request. They once again will probably say nothing but I expect you should get a response at some point, albeit not at that meeting. But you never know, they might just take the bull by the horns and put the item on agenda for later in the meeting, it has happened. Be prepared to provide the deputy clerk with a written copy of your deputation. Bring some people to show your request has community support. You will stand up and be counted by giving a deputation, but if it’s important enough then it’s worth doing.
This appears to be a good lesson in think twice, act once. They should more carefully consider the consequences of their decisions before making them. Consulting with the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association before finalizing their decision would have been a good idea.
However, I believe the only way to keep the squawk to a dull roar is to stand by and defend decisions you have made. To concede error and flip-flop on your decision leaves every decision you make in the future subject to far more noise from peanut gallery. (Not inferring that this particular noise came from the peanut gallery.)