Parnell not best for job: Pappas
Coun. Dean Pappas didn’t say much on Tuesday about why he wanted to oust Coun. Lesley Parnell from her position as chairwoman of the city’s planning committee, at City Hall on Monday.
“It’s really simple: I think the citizens of Peterborough deserve the best possible chair of planning,” he said in an interview.
When asked why he doesn’t see Parnell as “the best possible chair”, Pappas demurred: “I’m not slinging dirt,” he said.
But Pappas said he was going to nominate Coun. Dan McWilliams for the job, instead.
McWilliams is a seasoned councillor and an astute businessman “who brings a lot to the table”, Pappas said.
“For some of us on council, we felt Dan would be best,” he said. “I just think it’s time for a change – and I wasn’t alone.”
But Parnell said she was “blindsided” by the move, and she doubts Pappas really had McWilliams in mind – she thinks Pappas wanted to be planning chairman himself.
“Dean’s been after that position for a long time and he wasn’t getting it,” she said. “That’s all there is to it.”
Meanwhile, McWilliams said Pappas never spoke to him about any of this - and that he isn’t interested in the chairman’s position.
“I’ve got no desire to do that,” McWilliams said on Tuesday. “This comes out of left field.”
Every year in October, the mayor recommends a series of appointments to city committees and boards for himself and for councillors. Appointments generally take effect Nov. 30 for a one-year term.
Parnell has been the chairwoman of the city’s planning committee since 2014: it means that once every three weeks, she chairs a meeting on a Monday evening at City Hall related to planning matters.
When these appointments come up for renewal in October, councillors often vote to approve the entire series in a single vote.
But on Monday, Pappas asked for one appointment to be voted on separately from all the rest: Parnell’s position.
He didn’t explain why he disagreed with the mayor’s recommended appointment, at the meeting, and he didn’t nominate anyone else.
On Tuesday, Pappas said he hadn’t wanted to discuss it in open session.
“It’s an awkward forum to do that,” he said, explaining that past councils used to talk about appointments in private, beforehand.
So Pappas asked for a separate vote on that one appointment. The vote was 6-5 in favour of keeping Parnell as chairwoman of planning.
Voting in favour of keeping Parnell as chairwoman were Parnell, McWilliams, Mayor Daryl Bennett, Coun. Dave Haacke, Coun. Henry Clarke and Coun. Andrew Beamer.
Voting against it were Pappas along with Coun. Don Vassiliadis, Coun. Diane Therrien, Coun. Keith Riel and Coun. Gary Baldwin.
Parnell said Tuesday she has also been appointed to a city committee to review the Official Plan, which she says will be “a big job”.
Bennett will also sit on that committee, she said.
Meanwhile McWilliams said he had no idea what was motivating Pappas – and he didn’t want to take over for Parnell.
“I think the appointments are fine.”