Maroosis motion "out of order," Chirico says

Deputy mayor Peter Chirico called a resolution by Coun. George Maroosis “out of order” Monday night, stating North Bay city council has been “open and fully transparent” during its time in office thus far.

Maroosis had brought a motion to the floor, seconded by Campbell, 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.”

No violations
Maroosis said he was going to bring the motion up based on complaints from other city councillors including Sarah Campbell and Judith Koziol.

Campbell, who announced she’d resigned from the board of the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority, 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.

A report by city solicitor Mike Burke stated there had been no violations of the Municipal Act with the two meetings involved,” Chirico stated.

Not paranoid
He added there may have been other reasons for Maroosis’s motion.

“There’s a saying that just because you’re not paranoid there aren’t people out to get you, and quite frankly that’s how I feel about this resolution,” Chirico said.

“I don’t believe there is any truth to this whatsoever and I can tell you that all the committee chairs and quite frankly all the councillors around this table with the exceptions of the ones bringing this up do not feel this way.”

Chirico was confident the motion would not pass because there was no reason that it should.

"Have we passed anything in this council that has not come before this council? No. Are there secret meetings? No. Absolute lies, absolute fabrication. Are we making deals in the back room? Absolutely not,” Chirico said.

“Are we following procedures for open and closed meetings? According to our solicitor, who’s an expert in the Municipal Act, I believe it’s ‘yes,’ an unequivocal ‘yes.’”

Previous failures
Chirico challenged “anyone” to tell North Bay “that there is factual information that says we are making deals behind the scene, that this council is not open and transparent because I for one have not witnessed it.”

Chirico then speculated what could have prompted Maroosis to make his motion.

“Could it be previous failures? Yes it could. Could it be that they don’t like the speed that we’re working at, it could very well be, could it be that these people don’t understand procedural bylaws that we all have been working under, I don’t know,” Chirico said.

What we do
Council members speak to each other and to constituents every day, Chirico said.

“Does that all of a sudden make us wrong in the eyes of Municipal Affairs? No that’s what we do when it comes to making law and bylaws and actually spending money, etc.
And if we do that behind closed doors then we are guilty.”

The boys
Just before ending his prepared remarks, Chirico made reference to public statements by some councillors in which he, Mayor Vic Fedeli and Coun. Dave Mendicino were refered to as "the boys."

"Quite frankly I take offence to that statement because it is demeaning and reflects back to our Italian heritage which we are very proud of," Chirico said.

"And I expect apologies from the people who have brought this forward."

Ordinary people
Council cleared 27 items off its agenda Monday night prior to discussing the Maroosis motion.

Coun. Tom Mason, who voted against the motion, said that was the type of council he wanted to be part of.

“A group that focuses on the issues, works hard on the issue, listens to the public and I believe to get into ‘he said, she said’ type of issues destroys the credibility of what we’re trying to do,” Mason said.

“We’re ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and basically that’s what it comes down to, but we have to work together, we’ve got to listen to each other for the good of the citizens of North Bay.”

Old form
Coun. Dave Mendicino said council has been “proactive and moved at a rapid pace” since taking office.

“This is reflected well on all members of council and running things in a business-like way is working and the message I get form the public is keep it going,” Mendicino said.

Mendicino said he didn’t need “an expert from Toronto—and while we’re at it why don’t we just revert to old form and hire a consultant as well—to come and tell council what constitutes an open and closed meeting.”

He also said it “saddened” him that Campbell had withdrawn from the conservation authority board, “just when the board needs all our help.”