The controversy surrounding the Golden Manor emerged once again at City Hall on Monday evening.
An appeal request was put forth by the Timmins Taxpayers Association to make a presentation during the city council meeting which pertained to the city administered seniors home. The presentation was prepared by TTA member Alex Szczebonski.
Mayor Steve Black stated it would require the approval of two-thirds of council before the presentation would be allowed.
Councillor Mike Doody, who is also chair of the Golden Manor board of management, was the first to comment.
“We have the presentation that Mr. Szczebonski has made available to us. At our next meeting, we will discuss this fully. We’ll go through the presentation. We will reply to the presentation. I think that the members of the board are in favour of this proposal,” said Doody.
Councillor Rick Dubeau strongly encouraged council to vote in favour of allowing the presentation.
“I’m very puzzled as to why administration and the mayor have refused Timmins Taxpayers Association twice to present to council. This is not a frivolous request. This is not a nuisance request. It’s only the second time they’ve come here. It’s the first time Mr. Szczebonski has asked to present, and he’s asking to present new information, not old information so I think it’s important that all of council hear it,” he said.
Dubeau was not satisfied with Doody’s statement.
“You have the presentation, but unless Mr. Szczebonski speaks to it, you don’t get the full message. He must be allowed to do so. He filed his request on time, and he provided us with his PowerPoint so that we could prepare. He gave administration plenty of time. Why wouldn’t we listen to what any taxpayer has to say? Council doesn’t operate in a vacuum. We need feedback from any and all citizens. We should encourage more participation, not less.” said Dubeau.
“We don’t have to agree with the information put forward, however we have a responsibility to hear them out. The principle of free speech is one of our most important core values. To inhibit this would be wrong,” he said.
Doody responded by saying that the Timmins Taxpayers Association was asked to meet with the Golden Manor board and they refused. He seemed to aim his comments at former city councillor and mayoral candidate Todd Lever, who was sitting in the audience and has represented the TTA on several occasions.
Doody also said he wanted to remind everyone that going into last fall’s municipal elections, he did not hear a single candidate mention the Golden Manor as being an issue.
“It all depends on the quality of care that you want to offer, and what the taxpayers want to offer. I’m very comfortable with what we pay for the service that we offer to the taxpayers of Timmins through the Golden Manor,” said Doody.
Councillor Andre Grzela asked Chief Administrative Officer Joe Torlone how soon changes could be made if council liked some of the TTA’s ideas.
“The expenditure and capital budgets have been approved. So that’s done. In my opinion, you’d have to wait until the next budget round,” said Torlone.
Councillor Pat Bamford agreed that everyone should have a right to present to council, but worries about the potential for outside interference.
“My concern is that this could be a routine, where they’re making presentations to us every second week or so. I don’t want any group, however respectable they are, to be setting our agenda on a regular basis,” said Bamford.
Mayor Steve Black said there was never an outright refusal, but that it was the CAO (Torlone) who decided the presentation would be directed to the manor’s committee of management, in order for them to have time to review it and prepare a response. He said all municipal bylaws regarding how items are put on a council agenda were followed.
He also said that other organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Timmins BIA only present to council once a year.
“These are meetings of council in my opinion. They are not, freedom of speech, anyone come in and talk about whatever item you want. They are for council deciding city business. If a group wants to give input, they can do so at council’s prerogative and however council wants to entertain those” said Black.
Only Councillors Dubeau and Joe Campbell voted in favour of hearing the TTA’s presentation.
The motion was defeated.
