Full-port press
CBRM council to have complete briefing of container terminal file
Cape Breton Regional Municipality council will receive an all-inclusive briefing of the container terminal port files by the end of September.
A motion was put forward by Dist. 2 Coun. Earlene MacMullin during a general committee meeting on Tuesday, asking for all council members to have a full understanding of the port file. The motion was later passed. The motion during a time of uncertainty surrounding Cecil Clarke’s future as mayor of the municipality. Clarke is currently running for the leadership of the Nova Scotia PC Party.
“The mayor has control over the port file and it’s confidential control,” MacMullin said.
“With the upcoming leadership election, which is taking place in October, my concern is that if he’s successful and he left his position as mayor, he would have the details of that file or explanation abilities that we may not have access to if we wait until he leaves.”
With the new leader of the PC party being selected on Oct. 27, MacMullin requested the port file briefing take place before the end of the month.
“We need to be prepared to move forward with that file and we need as much information as possible to do that correctly,” MacMullin said.
“I know that Mayor Clarke will be very busy in October and we need the benefit of him being able to present to us and answer our questions.”
As part of her motion, MacMullin asked for meeting minutes from council, as well as minutes from the Port of Sydney meetings.
A tentative date of Sept. 25 has been set for the briefing. MacMullin has asked for the meeting to be in-camera, meaning it won’t be open to the public.
“In order to get a full picture and to be uninterrupted when people are talking and answering question …I think it’s a better environment and I think it’s healthier for our council because we can ask anything,” MacMullin said.
“If we had an open session and we were on a roll and really getting somewhere, to have to stop and ask people to leave the room for certain things or to clear the room ourselves, I think it would really put a damper on it.”
Meanwhile, Dist. 8 Coun. Amanda McDougall also put forward a motion, which was passed, during the meeting.
McDougall requested a review of the motion that granted Clarke authority of the container terminal and port files from the Port of Sydney.
She has also requested a review of the current code of conduct, which would be used as an educational exercise for members of council, allowing discussion around potential changes to the policy.
As part of the motion, McDougall also asked for a detailed review of what the roles and responsibilities are of all members of council. With that, she’s requested a third party lead the session to avoid conflict.
“In light of the court proceedings pertaining to the Whalley and CBRM case, people have been questioning me about different actions that had taken place in terms of contracts being signed — it seemed without council’s consent or approval,” McDougall said.
“We did a session back in February with (former clerk) Bernie White, a registered parliamentarian, and we talked basically about parliamentary procedures within council chambers and what the basic rules and responsibilities are of mayor and council, but my hope is that we can get into that deeper.”
McDougall believes it would be a good educational tool.
“We need to know in terms of private deals, what can be done or what can’t be done, as well as can motions be passed in-camera, because my understanding under the Municipal Government Act is that they can’t, but when we’re starting to go back and research and review, it seems like motions may have happened.”