Campbell resigns from CA board over meeting

Coun. Sarah Campbell has resigned from the board of the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority, stating she was “denied” the ability to protect an asset that could come under city control.

Council announced her resignation at Monday night’s council meeting during discussion of a motion by Coun. George Maroosis.

Based on complaints
Last week Maroosis gave a notice of motion stating that he wanted an expert from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to come to North Bay “to meet with the mayor and the council to review the Municipal Act, and to review the procedures for open and closed meetings as well as the duties and rights of elected members of council.”

Maroosis said he was going to bring the motion up based on complaints from other city councillors.

Campbell, it turned out, had been one of those councillors as well as Judith Koziol.

Both had expressed concerns over meetings that had been held during the last two weeks; Campbell said she’d not been invited to a ‘what-if’ meeting involving the possibility of Jack Pine Hill coming under city control, and Koziol stated she was not made to feel welcome to attend a General Government Committee meeting involving labour negotiations

Breached more than once
During last night’s 45-minute discussion on the motion, Maroosis said he was not making any accusations of impropriety, because if it that was case it would be an investigation that would be being asked for, which is the right of any citizen and certainly any councillor to request from the Minister of Municipal Affairs.”

Campbell said the Municipal Act has been breached more than once, “and the rules of order and our duties as councillors in upholding our laws and responsibilities must be adhered to and must not be thwarted by anyone in controlling our abilities to govern.”

When an elected official and an appointed board member sits on a board, Campbell said, “she or he controls the asset by law of deed, she is the one or he is the one liable, accountable and responsible for it in every way.”

Discuss and brainstorm
But, as in the case of the ski hill, Campbell said, when meetings are called under the office of the mayor, namely the office of economic development, “and all those invited discuss an asset that is not under their governance,” they hold no liability, responsibility and accountability.

“And more importantly they break with the order of governance when the asset under discussion does not belong in deed to the city,” Campbell said.

“Only when the city holds the deed does the mayor hold the liability to protect the asset, and until that has been done the meeting is out of order, and threatens every board and commission in this city if the mayor’s office can discuss and brainstorm ‘what-if’ scenarios of assets not under the governance of the city of North Bay.”

No other option
What’s even more serious, Campbell said, is holding such meetings without inviting people who are both councillors and governing members of the asset under discussion, such as the case of the ski hill.

“This is such a serious breach of the Municipal Act, and if everyone chooses not to agree to this motion it paves the way for a breach to become a complaint then it gets even more serious, because it was stated in the public that this was the first of many meetings to discuss the ski hill,” Campbell said.

Consequently, she continued, “I had no other option but to resign from the North Bay Mattawa conservation Authority Board, which I did today, for I was denied the ability to protect the asset under discussion by the mayor’s office of economic development, with all my personal liability on the line.”

Serious need
Campbell, reading from a prepared statement, urged council to pass Maroosis’s motion or face possible future consequences.

“If council members do not see the serious need for this motion to be passed tonight, then the next time the Municipal Act is not followed a complaint will be filed and we will all be embarrassed at the consequences of ignorance,” Campbell said.

“I tried in every way to address this issue, and when I found out about the meeting by chance, I was given punitive treatment for I dared to question the call and the process.”

Law, order and democracy
Campbell said she stands for every board governing member “who governs their assets and liabilities.”

“I stand for democracy I stand for the people who elected me, I stand for the law and order and I stand for protecting the public interest, I stand to protect my liability,” Campbell said.

“That’s what this issue is all about, law, order and democracy, which have been broken here, and that’s why you should support this motion here tonight.”

Some clarity
Koziol said she didn’t really see “what the excitement is all about.”

“This motion isn’t talking about violation, this motion is merely asking for experts to give some clarity about something which has happened,” Koziol said.

“In my opinion it’s a very simple solution, an expert comes in, we listen, we might find out that ‘oh my God, we’ve been doing everything proper’ and we have nothing to lose other than we’d have to apologize to those who we have suggested something improper has happened,” Koziol said.

“However if we are right and we aren’t doing things correctly we will benefit from it and go on.”

Don't know everything
Coun. Maureen Boldt said it was evident to here that “people around this table don’t know everything.

“And after seven years on council I don’t know everything, and I would support Coun, Maroosis and his well stated resolution that people here need to have a look at how things are supposed to happen and how they should happen,” Boldt said.

The motion was defeated 7-4 during a recorded vote, with only Campbell, Maroosis, Koziol and Boldt voting in favour.

Click here for reactions to the motion from the Peter Chirico and other councillors.