Clerical Error Leads To Committee Quorum Confusion

A couple of clerical errors is the explanation given regarding the seeming illegitimacy of a recent Advisory Committee meeting which gave recommendations regarding recreational facility rates, cemetery fees and the distribution of government grants to non profit organizations. Items which are part of the City’s upcoming Operating Budget deliberations.

The September 28, 2021 minutes of Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee lists five committee members in attendance and at the same time five members absent. The minutes also list under the first item of new business the committee accepting the resignation of one of the committee members who was absent from the meeting.

SOURCE - Minutes of the September 28th Parks, Recreation and Facilities Advisory Committee

Under standard Advisory Committee rules no meeting can be held with quorum with quorum being defined as more than 50 percent of the members being present before the meeting commences.

With only 50 percent of members being present - according to the minutes - at the start of the meeting there was an appearance the meeting did not have quorum and as such could not take place.

“We apologize that the minutes were misleading as Ms. (Sara) Cull should not have been listed as absent, rather should not have been listed. We will correct at the October 25, 2021 Meeting,” an emailed statement on behalf of City Manager and Clerks department read.

The explanation came as a result of the post meeting news conference with City Manager Jim Puffalt who did not know the answers at the presser but promised to get back to the media with the reasons why the September 28th Advisory Committee meeting had quorum or not.

According to the statement under Section 55 of the Cities Act the Province allows Council to establish committees and the rules surrounding them.

As such the Parks and Recreation Bylaw in Section 7 (c) states the committee member no longer has a seat on the committee and “becomes vacant through resignation.”

“City council is responsible for outlining such committee procedures, including procedures related to quorum and member resignations,” a written statement from the a spokesperson from the Ministry of Government Relations responded when asked to provide the mechanics under the Cities Act when it comes to committees of municipal councils.

Ms Cull, who was appointed at Council’s August 24th, 2020 meeting, resigned her position on the Parks and Recreation Committee on September 9th, 2021 therefore meaning the meeting had quorum as the number of members was reduced to nine the City explained.

The statement went on to explain Council accepted Ms Cull’s resignation through the Advisory Committee by adopting their September 28th minutes at this past Tuesday’s regular Council meeting.

The Advisory Committee meeting minutes indicates they accepted the resignation almost three weeks after it took effect under the Parks and Recreation Bylaw and, according to the minutes, was not simply received and filed.

The statement from the City Manager and City Clerks offices did not indicate if the Advisory Committee would be amending their minutes to correct the clerical errors as well.

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