A Commentary by Doug Draper
Here is a pretty sad and sorry sign of our times – “In-Camera Meeting In Progress. Do Not Enter.”
Doors shut. An all-too-familiar site at Niagara regional council.
That was the sign several ordinary residents and others across Niagara, Ontario’s region – people who took the trouble and time to attend a regularly scheduled meeting of our elected regional councillors this September 23 – had slammed in their face for the better part of three hours as the council, once again, spent a ridiculous amount of time debating matters that are ultimately going to hit us in the pocket book, behind closed doors.
Now I just want to make clear, before I go on with this, that I have a good deal of respect for many of those representing us on regional council. This isn’t a slam against each and every one of those elected people behind those closed doors. In spite of what many think of politicians these days, I continue to believe we have people on that council who try their best to serve in the best interest of their communities.
But that is enough of this reporter playing ‘Mr. Nice Guy’.
The number of council meetings like this one on Sept. 23, where taxpaying citizens show enough interest to attend a meeting, only to find the doors closed with that ‘Do Not Enter’ sign on it is appalling.
“What a way of doing business,” said Pat Scholfied, a Port Colborne resident and citizen advocate for quality hospital services in that area of the region. She showed up at the meeting around 8 p.m. in the evening and, thanks in no small part to the closed doors, had to wait until about one o’clock in the morning before a debate on hospitals that she and several other residents came to hear finally came to the floor.
And it was not only the citizen activists who had to wait while those doors were closed for hours. It was executive members of the Niagara Regional Police Service, there to hear out and possibly comment on an in-camera debate by the council over where a new police headquarters should go. And it was some of the top administrators of the Niagara Health System (the board responsible for operating most of the region’s hospitals) up to and including the board’s chief administrative officer, who’s time is considered so valuable she makes about $340,000 a year.
All of these high-priced police and hospital officials waiting out in the lobby of the regional headquarters for hours while the doors were shut. Wonder how much having all of them, waiting out in the lobby for hours on end, cost us?!!!
This reporter would not be making such a deal out of this if it only happened a few times. But this ‘way of doing business’, where a regularly advertised meeting of the council is supposed to start at 6:30 or 7 p.m., only to have the doors go shut for 40 minutes, then an hour or two in some cases, has become too commonplace during this current, four-year-term of council. At the same time, I’ve heard regional councillors and staff say things like; ‘How come people aren’t more interested in regional government?’ What can we do to get people more engaged in it.’
Well for starters, I would suggest that you can’t do it by calling meetings, then instructing a gallery full of people who are actually trying to take an interest, in leaving the chamber for a ridiculous amount of time. Why not at least even make an effort to deal with the issues members of the gallery came to hear before going in to closed session? And if there is a gut level feeling that there will be a closed debate on an issue like where the police headquarters should go that could go on for hours, why not start that part of the meeting at 4 p.m. before the regular council session or hold a special meeting to deal with it.
The way it is now, it almost looks like the regional government doesn’t care how put off the public or members of the media trying to cover these meetings are if the council shuts the doors for an hour or more. It gives an impression that if people get so fed up waiting for the meeting that they leave, the region doesn’t care. And I would like to believe that is not true.
“I am appalled that we are here doing so much of the people’s business at this late date and late hour. We are in to a second day,” said Grimsby regional councillor Debbie Zimmerman as the clock struck 1:30 in the morning and following that three-hour lock out this Sept. 23, people who showed up six hours earlier were still waiting to hear discussions of concern to them.
All our councillors should be appalled at this.
Could the next group of regional councillors we elect this October please set and more open and positive tone.
(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to residents in our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
Hi Doug,
Inclusion is not the norm here which is SO unfortunate as it is an active, participating public that ‘makes’ a vibrant healthy region, not the networking or politics of the day. I’ve also noticed some really great councillors who represent us well. Keep up the great work.
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Amen Doug! Yes there is something seriously wrong with our Regional Government when the public travels 45 minutes to attend a meeting and six hours later (2a.m.) frustrated and weary, heads home. Surely they can work out a better system….for instance have separate meetings to deal with highly contentious matters.
My other complaint is the total lack of democracy in the region anymore.
I, myself had asked to make a presentation at the Sept. 8 Committee of the Whole and was told I had already spoken. That was well over a year ago and had only to do with an agreement to contribute $21 million towards components of the new hospital. Am I now restricted “for life”?
On the other hand the NHS was at that meeting and presented and answered any questions. Also at the Public Health Committee meeting the NHS was there and commented “at will” on a number of occasions.
Is the region not interested in hearing all views?
This is not democracy.
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The lack of democracy in the Niagara region should be an election issue. The politicians don’t care what people think & only go through the motions of pretending to care and listen. This is demonstrated by the number of times they ignore public opinion & proceed on their predetermined path of action regardless of what people say in their various addresses to councils throughout the region. e.g. Closing Fort Erie & Port Colborne Emergency Departments, building a new hospital on the west side of St. Catherines, Proceeding with the building of a 12 storey condo on the only public beach in Crystal Beach, adding noise & environmental pollution to an urban area with their support of the speedway in the heart of Fort Erie. The list goes on & on. We need to grill candidates to find out their true agendas & then hold them accountable when they go against them once they are in office. How do we hold them accountable ? Under our present system we can’t. Maybe it’s time to advocate for an impeachment process in our system.
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In-camera; LOL Again and again and again!
This is where I stand with accountability…. it is bad enough to have major decisions behind closed doors but think of the individual who is being destroyed by a system and the only alternative for him or you is to hire a Lawyer that cost you $40,000. As if any one has that kind of money to get your rights! This is what I am saying to people in Ward 5…
” We should welcome the introduction of legislation to allow private citizens to resolve municipal and reglional issues through our Ombudsman Office. Accountability is a fundamental responsibility of our democracy. What are we hiding? ”
Regional Governments, city governmnets, school, universities and hospitals should be under the authority of the third party investigation of the Ombudsman Office.
IT IS ABOUT TIME!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=157320410950876
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I would like to say that, these meetings behind closed doors is getting “AWAY FAR TOO OUT OF HAND” & that this should be “STOPPED” some way, some how.. There should be “PENALTIES” from provincial government, or something, to be done about this and “SLAMMED” at the people in particular for having and especially being “WHIZ KIDS” at being secretively projective, in planning these such “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS” meetings, when especially this is supposed to be a “PROVINCE” let alone a “COUNTRY” that is supposed to be a “DEMOCRACY” and therefore, our local citizens, who are trying their “DAMMEDEST” to try & debate for what our matters are concerning our local communities, is what the people of such coalitions, and people like me of the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAM” are trying to do, as in to make these people of the Region of Niagara to finally listen to us for once, and with the more people that we as a whole whether it be the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAM” or any other coalition in particular is doing to fend for all of what becomes our “BEST OF INTERESTS” is supposed to be given that right, and lately from what I’ve seen, talk about the regional council having these “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS” meetings, also sounds like even when it is open for say; the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAM”
They the regional councillors, don’t even give we the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAM” a chance to even have a say or as much to even participate a “VOTE” in the matter of what we were there for, back on September 8th/2010., when I was there.. And the attitude of both the majority of regional councillors, not “ALL” but “MOST” regional councillors, & the NHS
Niagara Health System, seem to not want to hear from the voices of these “YELLOW SHIRT TEAMATES” with an obvious “TWICH” in they both the regional councillors, & the Niagara Health System, that they already know about us “YELLOW SHIRT TEAMATES” and what our parogitives are, of what & why we the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAMATES” are there for.. And they just don’t give a “DAMMMMMM” and nor do they even “CARE” to want to hear from any of the “YELLOW SHIRT TEAMATES” because they have such “EGOS” of the fact that they think that they’ve got “S*O**M*U*C*H**P*O*W*E*R” that they “OWN” the regional government of Niagara, and “NOT” that it is a “REGIONAL GOVERNMENT” that’s supposed to be appointed people of such status, and from a higher crown, and as well having the rights to serve such “UNLIMITED TERMS” & with no restrictions whatsoever, to say only being allowed to only serving 2 terms, is another thing in why most of these regional councillors act more like they themselves “OWN” and that “NO”!!!!! they are only appointed by a higher crown, whoever that higher crown is, is the person that ought to be responsible to “LAY OUT THE PUNISHMENTS & PENALTIES” to such regional councillors and even the NHS for allowing “CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS” and making this “T*E*R*R*I*B*L*Y” feel of “NON-DEMOCRACY” when this province, like this country “BOTH” is supposed to be a “DEMOCRACY” and therefore, what should be done about it?????
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