Falls council, staff mum after meeting on Ryerson
City council, nor staff, had anything to say following a special council meeting Monday during which politicians were to provide direction to staff regarding a federal funding application involving a proposed partnership with Ryerson University.
The city and Ryerson are working on a five-year plan for a $33million project called the Niagara Falls Ryerson Innovation Hub.
The cost of the innovation centre would be split between the city, Ryerson, private investors and a federal grant.
The first application for funding from FedDev Ontario, a federal agency, was rejected and a second, revised submission was filed.
The city is being asked to contribute $4.2 million to support the project.
Municipal councils, local boards and their committees can meet behind closed doors to deal with certain matters.
Just after 4 p.m. Monday, city council gathered in council chambers and unanimously passed a motion to go in-camera to discuss an issue chief administrative officer Ken Todd said falls under one of the Municipal Act exemptions for when politicians can meet behind closed doors.
All councillors were present for the vote to go in-camera, except for Coun. Carolynn Ioannoni, a longtime critic of the proposal and the mayor and staff’s handling of it.
Council also passed a motion to appoint Todd acting clerk as city clerk Bill Matson is away on vacation.
When reading the in-camera motion, Todd said the closed-door session is permitted under a section of the Municipal Act that states: “A meeting, or part of a meeting, may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered is information explicitly supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board by Canada, a province or territory, or a Crown agency.”
About an hour after the incamera meeting was called, Todd came into council chambers and told The Niagara Falls Review council will not reconvene in open session to rise and report what direction, if any, it gave to staff.
Mayor Jim Diodati did not respond to a request for comment.
The Niagara Falls-Ryerson
project calls for equipping and operating a state-of-the-art hub, which would initially have an area of up to 4,440 square metres, expanding in the third year of the project based on demand.
The hub will focus on accelerating the growth of companies, developing new skills and driving innovation in various sectors leading to the creation of new jobs.
In a recent interview with The Niagara Falls Review, Ioannoni said she believes information posted June 17 to the city’s business development website insinuated council was all in on the proposal.
The announcement states: “Council has poised Niagara Falls, with a committed contribution of $4.2 million over five years for operating costs and building space/land, to engage Ryerson University for FedDev funding to help meet strategic objectives such as youth retention and attraction, diversifying the economy, and downtown redevelopment.”
The announcement states the project would be proposed to the public if the second application/ submission to the FedDev investment fund is approved.
Ioannoni said council members never voted on committing $4.2 million to the project prior to the June 17 announcement.