Review-Mirror

Mayor Robin Jones presents Westport's Senior of the Year award to Fanny Murphy after Saturday's Canada Day parade. Murphy, who will be 90 this fall, is active with several groups, including St. Edward's Church. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror Leeds and the Thou- sand Islands' Councillor John Paul Jackson has said he will disclose closed meeting information relat- ing to personnel issues which were discussed at two May council meet- ings. Jackson has demanded councillors have access to the full report – rather than just the executive summa- ry – compiled from an investigation undertaken by the township's law firm Templeman Menninga. The partial report was pre- sented at the May 23 and 29 meetings. His attempt to put a motion on the table for the full report was voted down at a June 19 council meet- ing and again on July 4. "When he started in, the first part included in- camera information. The motion was declared an invalid motion contrary to the procedural bylaw and won't be at Committee of the Whole," said Mayor Joe Baptista in an inter- view with the Review- Mirror last week. "As such I will now be going public and sharing all of our in-camera dis- cussions as they relate to our May 23rd and May 29th meetings," wrote Jackson on his Facebook page where he and a num- ber of his friends have inferred information about in-camera matters. Jackson has already revealed that as a result of the meetings disciplinary action was taken in rela- tion to four staff members. Baptista has also been taking to social media to identify Jackson as being out of turn for releasing more information relating to a personnel matter. "Everyone has to be accorded the same rights under Human Rights Code. You have a right to privacy when it comes to personnel matters," said the mayor. Last month Jackson started a yes/no online sur- vey linked from his Face- book page. Baptista said the question in the survey contravenes the confiden- tiality as well. "Knowing that your TWP Council has made certain decisions without full disclosure of all infor- mation concerning the employment of several TWP Staff Members, do you agree that all docu- mentation related to our decisions should be made available to all of Coun- cil?," was the survey ques- tion. "The harsh reality is the rest of council, the majori- ty of council are following the rules and they under- stand what the rules are. It's unfortunate an individ- ual has decided to so fla- grantly flaunt the rules," Baptista said. Baptista said not releas- ing the full report to the council was the best way to ensure that solicitor and client privilege was main- tained "As the head of council I have a duty to make sure that the Municipality is protected in the way it does business. This includes the privacy of information and respect- ing the privacy of the men and women who work for our Municipality," he said. Baptista has also turned to Facebook to get his message across. "Councillor Jackson has now revealed even more confidential infor- mation on Social Media from In Camera meetings. It is clear that he has bro- ken the oath he took and his actions have put the Municipality and you the taxpayers at great risk. There is no place for this type of illegal action and I can assure you that this matter is being treated with the seriousness that it deserves," wrote Baptista in a post. Jackson's conduct on the disclosure of in-cam- era information will likely be part of a report by an integrity commissioner who begins work on the file beginning this month. The report will identify code of conduct viola- tions. Under the Municipal Act contraventions of a council's code of conduct result in penalties, with the highest being a 90-day leave without pay. Eight months after he stood in the Legislative Assembly and called for a moratorium on school clo- sures, Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark expressed mixed emotions that the Wynne govern- ment has taken action. "The Minister of Edu- cation today admitted that parents, municipal leaders and I were right – the existing accommodation review process is a disaster that ignored school com- munities," said Clark. "While I welcome the moratorium on future school closures until a review is complete, we've paid a heavy price for her failure to show leadership earlier. It's too late for the communities in Leeds- Grenville devastated when Upper Canada District School Board trustees voted to shutter seven schools in the riding." However, the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) is encour- aged by the steps the province says it will be taking to update their approach to rural and northern education. Although the moratori- um does not apply to deci- sions previously made by boards, Clark urged the Upper Canada board to review some schools tar- geted for closure. "Many closures won't happen for a year or more from now, so I believe this provides an opportunity to reconsider them under whatever new guidelines are developed during the ministry's review process," said Clark. Clark praised those who fought valiantly to keep their schools open and pre- serve an opportunity for future generations of stu- dents to learn closer to where they live. "I can't say enough about the passion they have for the value of rural education and the innova- tive ideas they presented to the board," said Clark. "However, as I warned the minister from the start of the Accommodation Review process, the deck was stacked against them." Clark pledged to try and ensure the review leads to the reinstatement of fund- ing for rural schools cut by the government and ensur- ing community impact is considered before a board can shut down schools. "I'm skeptical we've actually seen a change of heart today from a govern- ment that has closed over 700 schools since 2004," said Clark. "Their actions clearly demonstrate that rural Ontario is just an afterthought to them and I suspect today's announce- ment is motivated by next June's election rather than a true commitment to rural education." UCDSB Board Chair Jeff McMillan expressed optimism that this is a "step in the right direc- tion" for rural schools. "We appreciate the acknowledgement by the Minister of Education that operating schools and pro- viding quality education programs requires special consideration by the Province," he said. While the Ministry's announcement identifies a need to renew the provin- cial approach to pupil accommodation reviews, the Minister reassured all school boards that school boards will not have to reconsider past decisions relating to the closure of schools prior to this announcement. Board Chair McMillan felt this will allow school boards to move forward beyond the difficult dia- logue of accommodation reviews and focus on schools that the Board has committed to operate into the foreseeable future. "Clearly, the Province has heard the unique chal- lenges that rural school boards face as it relates to sustaining a well-rounded educational experience for our students," said McMil- lan. The Review-Mirror July 6, 2017 – 3 Moratorium too late for schools slated for closure but Board encouraged by province's latest announcement Upper Rideau Lake Association ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Saturday, July 8th, 2017 NORTH CROSBY COMMUNITY HALL Shillington Park, County Road 10 Coffee, 9.30, MEETING 10am. BBQ to follow Guest Speakers – Rep. from the Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office – Mayors Robin Jones and Ron Holman Everyone is welcome. Come and join us. TLTI Council rift over closed meeting disclosures grows South Crosby Firefighters Association ELGIN DAY Saturday, July 8 – Elgin Lions Hall Firefighters are selling ice cream sundaes and collecting used household batteries. Fire prevention information will also be available at the ice cream booth. BBQ Chicken Dinner – 4pm until sold out Includes homemade salads and desserts. Hope to see you there! a LINE-UP The Discovery Area Stage 11:00am: Butterfingers! (kids show) The Forest Stage 1:30pm: Krista Muir & Lederhosen Lucil 2:15pm: Hadley & Boo The Main Stage 3:00pm: The Rizdales 3:45pm: Oh Susanna 4:30pm: Chris Brown 7:00pm: Luther Wright & the Wrongs F Free Admission Cash BBQ & Refreshments Children's Activities in the morning Please visit our Facebook page for more details Opinicon lake music festival at the opinicon Saturday July 8 L Forfar Community Centre 1544 Cty. Rd. 42 • Free Admission Leeds China Painters Show and Sale Saturday, July 8, 10am-3pm featuring: China, Needlework, Perennials, Jewelery, Pottery and Baking

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