OMBUDSMAN & JIGS HOLLOW PIT

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Ombud clears Woolwich". There is probably at least a pyhrric victory here for Woolwich Council. A citizen complained about an in camera meeting held last November in which Woolwich Councillors voted to direct staff to settle with two gravel companies appealing to the Ontario Municipal Board. The citizen felt that the in camera meeting violated the municipal act. Indeed there have been a number of municipalities in Ontario over the years who have badly abused that act by holding in camera meetings more to avoid political fallout than anything else. Ontario's Ombudsman however seems quite confident that this particular case involving Woolwich Council was not in contravention of the act. That being said the Ombudsman did throw a bone to the complainant if you will by suggesting that in future Council should better describe the specifics of their in camera meeting, prior to holding it.

This complaint in my opinion was credible as was the Ombudsman's decision. That being said the Ombudsman was strictly ruling on the propriety of the in camera meeting. His decision is irrelevant in regards to Council's about face on the recycling of asphalt and concrete at this site. Passing a Motion in Council to prohibit recycling at this pit and then negotiating away your own prior Council decision will never sit well with the local citizens nor should it.