New Tec votes to move committee meetings to day time, staff to lose vacation days

New Tecumseth Free Press Online

New Tecumseth’s new councillors wasted little time putting their own stamp on their four year term, voting unanimously last night to move committee of council meetings to Monday mornings starting at 10 am, replacing the traditional 7 pm starts.

While it remains to be ratified next Monday night, council meetings, which are generally the rubber stamping sessions for decisions struck in committee, would continue to be held at 7 pm. Over the past few years, council meetings have averaged approximately half hour in length. The procedural bylaw also makes it more difficult for delegations to appear at Council, since the bulk of debate takes place in committee. There are 15 committee of the whole meetings scheduled in 2015.

The only reference to the possible time shift was referenced in a report setting out the 2015 meeting schedule, which noted that the discussion was sparked after the municipal elections (page 90 of a 257 page agenda).

“The Mayor and Deputy Mayor, in preparation for the commencement of the 2014 -2018 term of Council, met informally with each member of the incoming Council to extend their sincere congratulations and to welcome all to this term of Council,” according to the report. “As a result of these meetings, staff were advised that there may be an interest by Council in pursuing a discussion at the Committee of the Whole meeting of December 8, 2014 respecting the possibility of a change to the time of day when Committee of the Whole and/or Council meetings are held. In this regard, staff respectfully request the direction of Council should they wish to make amendments to the time at which meetings are scheduled. In the event that a change is desired, staff will bring forward the necessary amendments to the Town Procedure By-law No. 2007-236 at the January Committee of the Whole Meeting.”

Mayor Rick Milne told Free Press Online after the meeting that the impetus for the change came during the campaign.

“Some of the people at the door said they didn’t have a chance to get to a council meeting because we’re always meeting at night, and they work afternoon shifts,” said Mr. Milne. “We want to be more open and transparent, I figure this is one way we can do that. We can have day meetings, that way people that do work shift, they can come out. But if there was something very contentious, we would definitely have a night meeting – say like the trails. I’m hoping more people will come out by going to a day meeting.”

The unspoken impact of the day meetings will be felt by the senior management team who are required to attend New Tecumseth’s committee meetings. The night meetings are treated as overtime, and by Conditions of employment for all non union staff each member who attends reportedly receives an extra week vacation for overtime and an extra week vacation for attendance at night council meetings. By moving to day meetings, the senior managers would still be required to attend, but because it’s during “normal” business hours, the time in lieu would be lost, saving an estimated $2,200 per person. And while council meetings would remain in the evening, staff attendance could be reduced to only the CAO and Clerk.

If the change goes through, New Tecumseth would be the only municipal council, excluding Simcoe County, that meets during the day in south Simcoe.