HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-11-02, Page 3Wednesday, November 2, 2016 • Huron Expositor 3
File photo
Some of council exchanged words with the Mayor of Huron East, Bernie MacLellan about an issue of miscommunication.
Once again, heated arguments during Huron East council
fi
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
In government, whether it
be our federal, provincial,
municipal or any other office
in the world such as the Cab-
inet of the U.S., tension culti-
vates and verbal exchanges
can become heated; at the
municipality of Huron East
council meeting October 18
that is exactly what
happened.
Conferring from several
politicians, this is a regular
happening.
Not afraid to ever speak
up, Tuckersmith Coun. Ray
Chartrand spoke after a
request from some members
of council; he addressed the
Mayor of Huron East Bernie
MacLellan regarding an
additional initiative compa-
rable to the Strategic Plan.
According to Chartrand it
seemed uncertain and
confusing.
From concerned comments
by Chartrand, Grey Ward Coun.
Dianne Diehl and Brussels
councillor, John Lowe, it's pur-
ported that MacLellan has
attempted to tag along with the
municipality of Bluewater
because they have an interest in
undertaking a recreational study.
Funded by the same depart-
ment as Vicki Lass from the
Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture, Food and Rural Affairs,
the mayor said they would be
willing to do a more "regional
What would you
want me to report,
you're implying
that something
has been upheld
and that's a load
of crap,"
— said the Mayor of
Huron East
view," rather than focusing on
just one municipality.
The project, which is
headed by Lass, is known as
the Strategic Plan and it's tar-
geted to help with the net
losses from all three recrea-
tional facilities in Huron East.
"We have never, ever talked
about this topic," Chartrand
said to the mayor. "Who is
leading this initiative? What's
the end goal? What other
municipalities have you been
talking to?"
"How's it being funded,
does staff have to apply for a
grant or some kind of pro-
gram? We are very unclear."
To MacLellan's knowledge,
there was not much informa-
tion given by Bluewater and
CAO of Huron East, Brad
Knight said the same in a
recent interview.
"They're going to do a
study on our behalf, they are
just asking for a list of things
that we would like to have
reviewed," explained
MacLellan.
Diehl recounted the night
when the two of three manag-
ers first heard the news from
the mayor about the study;
"they sat there like a deer in
the headlights (and) by the
look on their faces they had no
clue what was going on."
"I apologize if you think
I'm out of line, we've been
through this before, we need
to include everyone when their
positions are being discussed,"
she said.
The mayor responded by
saying, "at what point do peo-
ple need to be included here,
the day I found out, I told
Brad."
"What would you want me
to report, you're implying that
something has been upheld
and that's a load of crap."
Since there are not many
details that have been pro-
vided, Knight has taken the
initiative to send a letter to
Bluewater asking them to
elaborate on the recreational
study.
A few months back, the
mayor told council at an
annual meeting, he had
received emails saying Huron
East was "dysfunctional." As a
result of some previous argu-
ments between council, the
Expositor has heard similar
statements from a few sources
that prefer to remain
anonymous.
From conversations with the
Huron -Bruce Conservative
MP Ben Lobb, the Expositor
has learned that comparable
instances occur in Huron
County as well as the House
of Commons.
ea orthhuronex s ositor.co
Deliberations are part of
normal government proceed-
ings as long as they are profes-
sional, he said. However he
admitted sometimes they can
turn personal.
"You are going to have
good debates, carbon tax is
one we are talking about and
many others and that's going
to happen," explained Lobb
October 28 in a phone inter-
view. "We have many disa-
greements, both in public and
in camera, you know what,
that's politics."
"And sometimes you have
to let the other bunch know
that you are not going to be
pushed around.
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