Thread by @LoveWilmot

There's a closed meeting from 4:30pm today (details in the agenda below), followed by a regular council meeting. Not much detail for that in the agenda, other than what's shown here. Watch live at youtube.com/channel/UCcA8f… or follow along here 👇

A few of minutes later than expected, Mayor Armstrong gets things started for the regular meeting. He asks for a moment's silence to reflect on the horrifying discoveries at residential schools across the country.

Coun Hallman reads the land acknowledgement. She slightly amends the statement below by adding a comment about the discovery of remains of Indigenous children.

The minutes from the previous council meeting on June 14 have been approved. No public meetings, presentations, delegations, or consent agenda this evening!

Coun Pfenning has a notice of motion about the First Peoples Group's presentation at a special council meeting on July 5. She praises FPG for reaching out to the community to make sure their views were heard.

Her notice of motion addresses the delegations at the July 5 special meeting, who she would like presentations to be limited to five minutes, rather than the usual 10. No delegations would be allowed to come back a second time to speak, again, as usual.

Coun Fisher says he's in favour of this as it will allow as many people as possible to speak. Coun Hallman agrees.

Coun Gerber asks if this idea came from the PM Path working group. Coun Pfenning says it was discussed at the last working group meeting. It will allow council to discuss this topic with each other.

The delegations section of the meeting would be limited to 150 minutes, which would allow for 30 delegations (as confirmed by the finance director😊).

Dawn Mittelholtz (Director of Clerk's Services/Director of Information and Legislative Services) clarifies that registered delegations will be informed of these rules beforehand.

Sandy Jackson (Acting CAO) points out that delegations could have less time if more than 30 people register. If fewer than 30 register, they would still have no more than five minutes each. More than 30 and the 150 minutes would be divided equally between everyone.

Coun Pfenning points out that the FPG engagement process has had the highest number of responses of any question put to the public before. She says that during council election debates, candidates were given two minutes to answer questions.

There's a discussion now about how delegations will be informed beforehand if the cut-off point for registering is an hour ahead of the start of the meeting. The meeting will start at 6pm, and delegations could receive a time limit warning email at 5pm.

All five councillors vote to accept these changes.

Announcements

Coun Gordijk: "40 Years ago today, on June 28, 1981, Terry Fox quietly passed away at Royal Columbian Hospital in British Columbia, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. He was just one month shy of his twenty-third birthday."

"For months on end, even in the depths of his own pain and suffering, he thought only of others. Countless lives have been saved and touched by Terry. His courage, selflessness and resilience inspire us all to work harder and make the world a better place."

"While Canada and the Métis Nations pause to remember an iconic hero, we also recognize that the Fox family is still mourning the loss of their loved one. As we celebrate Terry’s life four decades later, we want you to know that you are all in our thoughts and hearts today."

Coun Hallman thanks the community for decorating over 400 maple leaves that are currently on display on Hartman Bridge, with more to be added.

Mayor Armstrong thanks the local Optimist Clubs that handed out graduate swag bags today.

He goes on to describe his ongoing Anti-Racism, Inclusivity, and Diversity Education update.

Coun Hallman asks if the mayor can share something he's learned. He says that there is still a lot of work to be done. He says that he sees Canada as one race, rather than lots of races.

He says children aren't born racist, but they are taught to be that way. "The human race is just everybody."

Coun Hallman asks what Mayor Armstrong took away from the four-part Indigenous studies course that was offered to all elected officials in Waterloo region. He says that there has to be an investigation and the right people need to be held accountable.

Business arising from the earlier closed session: Carried.

Council is reconvening into a closed meeting, but will be back into open council to confirm the business that will be discussed.

That's it for now...

Now that the closed meeting has ended, we're back into the open council meeting.

RECOMMENDATION
THAT By-law No. 2021-34 to Confirm the Proceedings of Council at its Meeting held on June 28, 2021 be introduced, read a first, second, and third time and finally passed in Open Council.

Carried.

And now we're adjourned, at 8:57pm.