Regional council asks for help after chaotic meeting
Regional council has voted to refer a transcript and video of its chaotic Jan. 25 meeting to the integrity commissioner.
Regional Chair Jim Bradley had to recess the meeting twice to restore order in the gallery, which was incensed when councillors voted 26-2 to pre-empt a motion by St. Catharines Coun. Haley Bateman calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after most councillors concluded it didn’t belong on the regional council agenda.
Council passed Pelham Coun. Diana Huson’s motion at Thursday’s meeting asking integrity commissioner Michael Maynard of ADR Chambers to review the meeting and develop a training session for councillors in the coming months.
As council made that decision, dozens of protesters held a candlelight vigil — organized by the Niagara Palestine Coalition to “mourn for the nearly 30,000 killed in Gaza in what the International Court of Justice found is plausibly genocide” — outside of regional headquarters at 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way in Thorold.
The coalition, founded in October, organizes weekly demonstrations and fundraisers in Niagara.
Protesters crowded the gallery again Thursday and walked out of regional headquarters en masse to begin the vigil as Bradley made his opening remarks.
After the meeting, Bateman said the referral motion — which isn’t debatable under council’s procedural bylaw — had blocked her from addressing her concerns with the minutes of the Jan. 25 meeting.
“It was not clear to me about why Coun. Huson would refer meeting minutes to an (integrity commissioner), a costly process that should be reserved as a last resort,” Bateman said. “There is a process in place for accessing an IC, and council is not following it. Couns. Huson and Morocco’s motion is an unabashed waste of taxpayer money.”
Huson said the clerk explained to Bateman that the integrity commissioner serves council for
multiple reasons, including training.
“The January meeting was unique,” Huson said. “Council removed a motion that it felt was outside of our jurisdiction in order to focus on the business of council — such as critical infrastructure projects that needed approval that night.
“As a result, a number of delegates were unable to present, shouting erupted in the chamber numerous times and a recess was called twice, interrupting our meeting.
“Many in attendance, including members of the public, staff and council, left the meeting frustrated and disappointed.”
Huson said referring the minutes and video of the meeting to the integrity commissioner will allow council to reflect on its policies and practices while improving delivery of meetings and interactions with the public.
“Engaging with the integrity commissioner for this type of training is not only in order, but it is also appropriate since the IC is also the body that advises council and councillors on matters of procedure and adjudicates code-of-conduct issues,” Huson said.
Huson said Bateman would still have the opportunity to address her concerns, as would her council colleagues.
“Her comments about not following process are flat-out incorrect,
which is consistent with the information she was given in our meeting,” Huson said.
A small group of protesters returned to the chamber after the vigil began. One began screaming at Bradley, who repeatedly called for order and reminded the gallery they couldn’t interrupt the proceedings.
“You are welcome to be here, but you cannot interrupt from the audience,” Bradley said.
As the protester continued yelling that the chair and council were “complicit in genocide” and “will be remembered for staying silent,” Bradley repeatedly warned the protester before
asking security to remove her.
“Anyone disrupting the meetings this way will be required to leave the chamber,” Bradley said. “I will remind anyone in the audience participation of this nature is not permitted. You are welcome to observe what is going on but not engage in the way we have just witnessed.”
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe’s motion at the Jan. 25 meeting removed Bateman’s item from the agenda because he said it would divide the community and foreign policy is a federal responsibility. That incensed Bateman’s supporters
in the gallery, including more than 17 delegations registered to address council on the issue.
Bradley called the recesses to restore order as shouts of “shame, shame” and “ceasefire now” came from the gallery.
Hours later, with the agenda complete, Bradley ended the meeting as Bateman repeatedly called for his attention on a point of order.
Bateman continued the confrontation on the way out of the chamber before a group of councillors intervened.