In Nanaimo, tensions stay high

Nanaimo Coun. Gord Fuller said Mayor Bill McKay was trying to shut him down during a sometimes heated committee meeting last week.

McKay, who chaired the meeting, said Friday that he just wanted it to move along.

The committee of the whole meeting on Monday was punctuated by interruptions, some testy comments around the council table, and citizens yelling out their thoughts.

Matters heated up when Fuller spoke to a member of a delegation saying: “I love it when people come up to the podium and threaten me.”

When that happens, “The immediate reaction is you start to think: ‘Well, wait a minute, I am not going to support them for crap because they are threatening me.’ ”

This was about whether a council member’s decision would affect election outcomes.

McKay asked Fuller if he had any questions for the delegation.

Fuller replied: “Yes I do, so if you could please bear with me. Otherwise, I will have to make a motion to censure you, to remove you as chair.”

He subsequently asked a question. And as an audience member called out, Fuller yelled to someone in the room.

In an interview later in the week, Fuller said that he probably could have spoken in a calmer manner.

“He [McKay] was trying to shut me off for making a statement to a delegation to council. Councillors make statements to delegations all the time. Other times, they will ask delegations questions.”

In turn, McKay said: “There’s been a lot of discussion here about my ability to control the meetings. But it takes the participation of all members of council.”

When presentations come forward, council is supposed to ask questions respectfully, McKay said.

“Nobody needs a speech from every member of council,” he said. Councillors can ask questions, “So we can move on with our meeting.”

During the Fuller-McKay exchange, staff members removed themselves, and the live video feed was halted for a few minutes. It was posted the next day on the city’s website.

“What is important to understand [is] that council meetings are open to the public and are both a political-democratic forum and a workplace,” Tracy Samra, Nanaimo’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement.

Staff rely on the meeting’s chairperson to maintain decorum, she said. In this case, that did not happen, despite a reminder from the city clerk, she said.

“We will be reviewing what happened on Monday with council next week and look forward to council providing further direction to staff.”

Last week also saw in-camera decisions by councillors to censure McKay and Coun. Diane Brennan. At a separate meeting Monday, councillors directed McKay and Brennan to apologize to Samra and to take workplace training. The meeting decided that they had been disrespectful to Samra.

McKay is waiting to speak to his lawyer, who is out of the country, before responding. Brennan said she would take the training but has not decided about the apology.

Brennan was censured on Wednesday after another in-camera meeting in which a majority of council members decided that she was responsible for two breaches of confidentiality and privacy. They have asked her to apologize to council. Brennan does not agree with that decision and said she would not apologize.

One more in-camera censure hearing is coming up, this one involving McKay, on Jan. 22.