Councillor says appointments to Wellness Centre committee needed approval

A county councillor is asking why people were appointed to a new committee working with the Pictou County Wellness Centre without councillors knowing about it.

Coun. Debbie Wadden asked Warden Robert Parker on Tuesday to clarify how two names were put forward by him for a new advisory group with the PCWC when they were not approved by council.

“What was the criteria for selecting them and why was it not taken to council?” she asked.

“Normally we have a say in who is on committees and I was disappointed I had to read in the paper to find out about it.”

Parker responded by saying that each mayor and warden at a Wellness Centre Building Authority meeting was recently asked to bring two names of people who would sit on this advisory group to assist staff with revenue generating and deficit-reduction ideas.

He said at the next meeting five names in total were submitted and accepted.

“We want more voices around the table and lend more knowledge to management,” he said. “We are trying to get some experienced people and not jut rely on the mayor and warden. The mayors and warden will meet quarterly and the (new advisory group) will meet monthly with the Wellness Centre to maybe come up with some solutions to lower the deficit.

Of those selected, Parker said he didn’t feel that appointing someone to that committee was the same as having someone appointed to a council committee.

Wadden responded by saying that the Wellness Centre is of interest to everyone in council and it should have at least been made aware of the appointments.

“As a councillor, I would have liked to have been given a chance to submit a name,” she said.