Wasaga council tied up in attire debate

WASAGA BEACH – Down with ties.

Municipal councillors will be expected to be dressed in appropriate attire, but they won’t have to don ties, under new procedural rules that will be adopted by council.

It was just one of the points in the new bylaw debated by Wasaga Beach councillors during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting.

Along with dress and decorum, the new rules also govern the use of cell phones and other mobile devices during council meetings, the format for council and committee meetings, voting, and rules of debate.

Oddly enough, though, it was the section on attire that drew the most debate on Tuesday. The bylaw, as proposed, reads that council members and staff “shall wear proper business attire” for meetings

Both Coun. Sylvia Bray and Coun. Bonnie Smith said council members should be dressed respectably – and, for the male members, wear ties.

“It’s a formal meeting, you’re doing the business of the town, you should wear a tie,” said Smith, adding that ties “are a sign of respect.”

However, Coun. Ron Anderson said it doesn’t make sense for councillors, or even municipal staff, to wear ties.

“We’re a tourist town,” he said, arguing the way he dressed at council – slacks and a polo-style shirt – was how he dressed at his accounting business. “The only place [in Wasaga Beach] I see people wear ties is at town hall.”

Councillors approved keeping the wording – and Anderson will continue not wearing a tie.

Councillors also approved a motion to remove ‘council reports’ from the agenda. Anderson noted that part of the meeting – during when council members typically recount a litany of meetings and community events they’ve attended since the previous council meeting – was like “reporting to dad.” In the past, councillors have used the time to talk about business ribbon-cuttings and other community event appearances.

“It’s not a good use of time … I don’t know of anywhere else that does it,” Anderson said.

Council did change the rules for how often a member can speak to an issue, increasing the opportunity for a councillor to address the topic. However, it will be at the ruling of the chair, and as long as what the councillor is addressing is pertinent.

Council also set down a proposed new schedule for committee and council meetings. Council meetings will be held the fourth Tuesday of every month, while committee of the whole will be scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month. Committee and council meetings can also be at the call of the chair, or requested by the chief administrative officer.

The tweaked version of the bylaw will come back to council for approval in January.