At an Adelaide-Metcalfe council meeting, the mayor David Bolton calls in the OPP, exercising his “Power of Authority” to remove the videographer from a public/open meeting. The township did not have a bylaw that prohibited videotaping. At a previous meeting the council had discussed videotaping the meeting themselves, or asking videographers to write a letter of intent to council before a meeting that they want to tape. But no discussion was made this day. The mayor ambushed with calling the cops – no alternatives.
Some democracy that is… People- don’t let your democratically elected council run your township like a dictatorship (especially if they have a wind turbine conflict of interest)!
The next meeting the mayor of Adelaide-Metcalfe also wants to add this to the procedural bylaw:
13.3 Members of public must, while in attendance, maintain an appropriate level of decorum. The presiding member may, and at the request of any member of the council shall, determine the appropriateness of activities taking place in the public gallery. Activities which may be disruptive to the meeting, as determined by the presiding member, are forbidden. Persons who do not abide by direction from the Chair shall be required to leave the meeting.
For greater certainty, the following activities are not permitted without authorization from the Chair: applause, heckling, shouting, singing and audible speech or conversations: the use of telephones, lighting, recording equipment, cameras, microphones and similar devices, displays of written or printed material, whether worn or affixed to other personal items, consuming food or beverages other than water, except as provided by the municipality.
This is a disgusting, cowardly display by this Council. I hope the Ombudsman looks into this.
Municipalities are outside the Ontario Ombudsman jurisdiction.
Forget about the Ombudsman who has done nothing so far. But ask anyway so evidence can be collected that this is indeed the case.
What a dickhead mayor !
What does this Mayor want to hide ?
Your tax dollars at work.
Thankyou to the videographer for showing us the truth.
They will be just like the Legislature…oh. wait, at least there they have to keep an accurate record of what actually happens!
Anyone have shorthand skills? They have said nothing about paper and pencil…
If several people will take handwritten notes of the meeting which are dated and signed these can be used as collective evidence as they will show common information. Same as taking oral evidence of people’s recollection of events but much better. Police use oral statements all the time when reconstructing what happend and when & where.
If someone knows shorthand this is even better. Hire a person with shorthand skills to attend the meetings.
If shorthand is used keep the original along with the transcript and make sure these are dated and signed.
Spiral school notebooks provide a firm base to write on. Record the place,time date and the names of the officials/council present at the meeting.
Oral statements can be recorded from those present if this is done right after the meeting when recollections are still sharp.
No problem this is easy to get around.
Also get a copy of the minutes of the meeting.
Don’t worry if you don’t get everything as others likely have it.
I hope the people of Adelaide-Metcalfe remember this at the next election!!!!!
Why have a council that works against the public good.
If this council wants to make fools out of themselves then so be it. They cannot stop what goes on at council meetings from being recorded. Any videotape witnesses should provide their name & date and address can be included but not required. This is known as eye-witness information.
This is a tough one but here’s what needs to be done to this Council, along with many more in Ontario that are holding their employers (YOU) in such contempt!
To make this work you need to organize a solid group of honest people who will dedicate themselves for many nights of “silent protest”.
Gather at least 1/2 dozen people to sit in every single Council Meeting that is scheduled for your township. Just be present across from Council. Sit quietly, take notes where appropriate and stare at them. Do not question, talk or even make any verbal contact with these “people”.
You WILL start to notice after a few meetings that they will increasingly become belligerent with you and when that happens then you know you are being successful. If they ask what are you doing there all you have to say is “we are watching YOU!”
Eventually you will see the cracks staring to form in the fake armour they try and portray!
We did exactly that up our way with our Council and after many, many many, meetings the Council realized that they were beaten! They actually asked what did we want them to do and we just said we want a Moratorium: on Wind Development! ……….They “caved in” and we got it!………………the Council stated that we made it very difficult for them to conduct business as usual. No guff!
One more thing, if someone can’t attend the meeting as they are scheduled for then they have to supply an alternative to fill the seat.
This is a “war of attrition” folks….the first one who blinks…..loses!
Horrifying!
There’s an old saying,
If you want to test a man’s character – test his power!
http://www.adelaidemetcalfe.on.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp
And, not a peep, or whimper from the rest of the council members.
Gee – only react to marching orders…….ah huh
Tax dollars @ work for you!
This is an absolute disgrace. This council is a bunch of insecure puppets; powertripping and bullying the people they represent. Kick them out. Public meetings are to be transparent , no secrets. Knock off the crap. Your Municipality is not acting in your best interest. These people need to be reminded of their oaths and may find themselves in the court of law.
“Oh Canada, our bought and sold out land”..
Our fore fathers will be rolling over in their graves. Shame on us for allowing this.
It’s past due time the people of Ontario dictated the way it’s going to be; start with our human rights.
In spite of some of its faults, our Council decided some time ago to partner with a local internet/TV signal provider to videotape every Council and Council-in-Committee mtg
Residents of the county can watch the proceedings at home; and some of us have the pleasure of operating the 3 cameras as volunteers to the democratic process.
But when not operating the videotaping console, I prefer to engage in person within the Council chambers; nothing will replace the face-to-face encounters with our elected representatives!
The only way Ontarians will reclaim their “human rights” is by putting themselves face to face with those whom they entrusted to represent them.
Everyone is busy, everyone has problems, but almost everyone can attend their local Council meetings, take notes, share what they saw and heard with other residents and act when the occasion demands. This is one of the ways for keeping a community healthy; neglect breeds disease.
Please don’t wait for someone else to “do it”; you needd to BE WHAT YOU WANT to happen.
Exactly!!!!!!!
I would most certainly welcome a “face to face” with both Dalton and Mike Crawley but will likely not happen. My correspondence has not been acknowledged what so ever; McGuinty always has a driver/body guard, and undercover police. McGuinty wouldn’t look you in the eye if you put his head in a vice and made him. Cowards.
Norfolk Municipal Council – they have been selective in the past as to what sessions are televised. Hmmm,I recall that industrial wind turbines was the topic of one of the non-televised meetings…those people will not look you in the eye either. They avoid me if at all possible.