Thursday, August 23, 2007

Haldimand "Together we can Open Doors"

I have received some phone calls and e-mails regarding the decision that council made last week regarding "all" correspondence that goes through the Mayor's Office. I have a few ideas, and I need your help. But first, here is the resolution that was passed by council last week;

Resolution 863-07

Moved By: Councillor Sloat
Seconded By: Councillor Bartlett

WHEREAS the Mayor’s office receives a considerable volume of correspondence through written or electronic form;

AND WHEREAS the Mayor has acknowledged in the past that management of this correspondence, especially e-mails has been overwhelming to the point where many e-mails may go unanswered or otherwise not responded to;

AND WHEREAS the management of this correspondence is critical to the effective operation of the County;

AND WHEREAS the dissemination of this correspondence to the remainder of Council as well as the Clerk is of utmost importance to successfully conduct the business of the Corporation.

NOW THEREFORE be it resolved:

THAT all correspondence sent and received through the Mayor’s office including all email addressed to the Mayor by title or name, be copied to the Mayor’s Assistant and the Chief Administrative Officer of the County;

AND THAT the Mayor’s Assistant implement this direction for all hard copy correspondence;

AND THAT the Information Systems Division ensure that all emails sent to the Mayor by title or name are automatically copied to the Mayor’s Assistant and the Chief Administrative Officer of the County;

AND THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in his/her discretion, refer relevant emails/correspondence to the appropriate General Manager for action/response;

AND THAT the Chief Administrative Officer, in his/her discretion, bring relevant emails/correspondence to Council through the Clerk’s office for action/response while protecting the privacy of individuals in terms of personal information;

AND THAT the Chief Administrative Officer report back to Council within six months as to the effectiveness of this process.

This was a recorded vote. Mayor Trainer and Councilor Grice voted against this resolution.

What can we do?

The following is a copy of the "petition" that I have put together;

As Residents of Haldimand County we no longer have the faith or the confidence in the Administrative Performance of the Corporation of Haldimand County.

Mr. John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; We the Residents of Haldimand County request your Ministry to conduct a "Forensic Audit" on the "Corporation of Haldimand County" immediately.

About three years ago we had approached Municipal Affairs with a petition of 150 signatures (that was what was required) and requested that a forensic audit be done on Haldimand County. We were told at that time that Municipal Affairs felt that we needed to deal with this on our own with council. Well the truth of the matter is that Council will not even listen to the taxpayers of Haldimand County.

So I suggest that we try this again. If we can get 5,000 signatures from residents of Haldimand County, that would be powerful! Someone would have to hear our cry for help! Remember when we fought and saved Haldimand County Hydro? That petition had 3,267 signatures! In the 2006 Municipal Election approx. 16,800 residents went to the polls. We will be heard if we are successful with the numbers on this petition. I have already e-mailed this petition to a few people across the County, I will be asking some local business owners to once again help out. I will update you with where you can sign the petition.

The next plan of action is going to the Courts. I have not completed all of my paperwork required for this, but I should be ready in the next couple of weeks. This is where I will also need some help. I will be going to see the Justice of the Peace regarding Criminal Charges under section 184 (1) and 184 (2), more detail on that in a later post. I can not promise that this will work, but we have to try. I will have to make out 5 sets of complaints, one for each council member that voted "yes", and the cost for the paperwork at the Courthouse is $181.00 for each complaint. I will need financial assistance to do this. If you can help please contact me, I am not hard to find.

I have also started the paperwork for a formal complaint to the "Privacy Commissioner's Office", the "Integrity Commissioner" and the "Ombudsman". If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

We can not fight council on this decision. "The Doors are Closed Tight".

I would like to "clarify" a statement that was made by Councilor Sloat to a local newspaper reporter, "he stated that we did not go through the "proper" channels to be heard"! The truth about this was that "council" didn't follow their own procedures here! There was no "motion" prior to this "resolution", the public was not privy to this, actually the Mayor was not even "privy" to what council and staff were up to! So is this how a Council Member tells the "truth" to the public?

We can make a Difference!

24 comments:

  1. Councillor Sloat must not be a religious man for he commits sin after sin.

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  2. Donna please let us know ASAP where we can sign this petition.

    Do council members think that the public is stupid, and we don't see what they are doing. Well lets give them a run for their money, I don't think it will be very difficult to get 5,000 signatures.

    Bob M. from Fisherville

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  3. It looks like by the wording of this resolution, that everyone and his brother will be privy to all the mayor's e-mails and lettermail.

    Maybe someone should test their resolution and send a letter or e-mail to the Mayor, call her a couple of days later and ask if she received the correspondence, when she says no, then we start sueing the county.

    It makes no sense that coucil is that nosey, they would put our county in a position of being sued. How is that making them good decision makers.

    It would be interesting to ask, although they would not share the information, what the lawyer said.

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  4. I just don't get it.
    If you would sit through council meetings you would clearly see why this was done.
    This County needs to move ahead in a positive matter and Trainer has been holding the success of the County back, IMO.
    Please move on and let this county move on also.
    Trainer has been the negative force IMO and thank God this Council has stuck together and has begun to do something about it.
    Are all the Staff and Councillors wrong? Trainer the only one that is right?
    IMO, I would say with your actions you are getting in the way also of Haldimand County moving in a positive direction.

    IMO, the County and Trainer are not sticking together in the lawsuit that the assistant has against them. Their Soc.'s are very divided.
    So if Trainer was right would they not be supporting Soc. in her favour.
    I ask again, is everyone wrong and Trainer is the only one that is right?
    Please do your research and don't depend on the sole word of Trainer. I know her very well and worked at the forefront of her campaigns for many years only to find out she lied through and through.
    I did my research finally and found out she lied time and time again. She would say that she heard this or that "from a very reliable source" and I would discover later that it was lies.
    Is it a good thing for a Mayor to be faxing her election lists of people from the Mayor's office to me? My understanding is this is wrong?
    I believed for many years that Trainer could do no wrong and I was proven very wrong.
    My advice to you is be careful of what you wish for and what you fight for. You may find out in the end you have been duped like I was.
    IMO Trainer is wrong and the County is right for their decisions on this matter. If this had been an isolated matter, it would have been a different story, IMO

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  5. First of all this has nothing to do with the Mayor. It is the right of every resident of this County to be able to communicate with any of the politicians in confidence without worrying that their communication is being shared with anyone and everyone. It is also likely illegal to intercept confidential communications.

    Secondly, you post here as anonymous and yet you make serious accusations against the Mayor. Using the very same logic that you suggest everyone should apply to the Mayor's email you should use your name when making inflammatory statements about anyone so that they have an opportunity to respond. It's wonderful isn't it to have the confidentiality to be able to be critical.

    Maybe next time you will take your own advice and use your real name.

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  6. Thanks everyone for your comments.

    Again I will clarify. I am not taking sides here, I am not making this a personal issue, I am not personal "Friends" with "anyone" on Council.

    After I ran in the election in 2003, I spent a "year and a half", attending every Council Meeting. I also go to council meetings when something of interest is in the agenda. So for anyone to have the opinion that I should go to council meetings for myself to see what is going on, I have, and I do!

    I do my "research", and have "never" depended on the "sole" word of Mayor Trainer. Other than Councilor Boyko, no other current Council Member speaks to me. If they could get past their personal dislike for me, they too could voice their opinions, they choose not to.

    I would suggest that you do some research, please read the following articles;

    My Second Letter to Haldimand Council dated March 2007.

    My Letter to Council regarding Accountability dated April 2007.

    Obviously "Anonymous" you also attend council meetings on a regular basis, or you wouldn't have said that "I just don't get it". So either you are a "staff" member or you are the only "other" person that I know that attends council meetings on a regular basis.

    Please Reveal Yourself to the public, to make yourself "accountable", and "believable", as under the mask of "anonymous" you are none of the above.

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  7. Thanks for the comment Lisa.

    Interesting fact you bring up here regarding inflammatory statements.

    I am researching that very issue.

    There is a very good possibility that the County has opened themselves up to Libel/Slander, "third party liable suits".

    For an example; "Anonymous" sends a letter to the Mayor, similar to the one posted here, it is copied to other individuals in the County, if the issue was a serious one they wouldn't delete the personal information as then the issue would have no weight. Bingo, possible "law suits".

    As the only possible way that the county could fight this type of "third party" libel/slander law suit, would be what is called "Qualified Privilege". I do believe that the County would have a difficult time using this as a defense.

    Haldimand County is already facing one very serious "law suit", that if won, we the taxpayer again carry the burden of the costs. Our money should be spent on services and the betterment of Haldimand County not "court cases".

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  8. That "lawsuit" by the previous adminstrative assistant is against Trainer personally and the County. They are jointly named in the lawsuit.
    I totally agree money would be better spent on service and the betterment of Haldimand County.

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  9. If it had not been for Mayor Trainer being in trouble with the e mails the steps taken would not have been necessary,IMO. This is about her and her failure to pass on important info to the respective source,IMO.
    I believe that the right steps have been taken for the betterment of Haldimand County, IMO.
    If this had been done by a Councillor or Staff I would expect the same precautions to be taken.
    It is the property of Haldimand County.
    If you want to write Trainer personally send it to her home e mail. When it is Mayor business, it is County business, IMO.

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  10. Please anonymous if you are going to continue to attack the Mayor please use your real name. Inflamatory statements should not be made under the cloak of secrecy. It shows cowardice.

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  11. Who I am does not alter the true facts. I can back up anything that I say. Why is it important for you to know who anyone is that is "anonymous"? I see that I am not the only one who posts under "anonymous."
    Besides why have that "anonymous" option on this site.

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  12. You have been very critical to the point bordering on liable and you hide behind the anonymous label. Nice if you can get it I guess.

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  13. One only needs to read these comments to figure out what is going to happen here.

    Confidential e-mails, and lettermail are going to be falling into everyones lap in the county. Some will even get to all others before they get to the intended receiver, the Mayor.

    The CAO, General Managers, the Clerk, and Council Members will all be making their own decisions on who should do what and when with the information that is presented to them.

    Sounds like a bunch of people are going to be running around in circles, fighting more than ever.

    This is a resoltuion that should never have happened. Council has made a grave error in judgement.

    Although it looks like you will be testing this with the courts. It is a shame that residents have to be always watching council to see if they are doing the right thing,

    When will you be going to the courthouse Donna?

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  14. Thanks everyone for the comments.

    I will be going to the courthouse to see the Justice of the Peace once the minutes have been passed by council. This should be passed at the next council of the whole meeting the first week of September.

    In the meantime please sign the petition that is now circulating. I will update you this week as to the businesses that will have this petition on their counters to sign.

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  15. ******Update********

    ***Where you can sign a petition***

    Mary Lou's Health Foods..... Dunnville

    Ramsey's Mens Wear.... Dunnville

    Harrison's....Rainham Rd & Haldimand Rd 50

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  16. Lisa;

    You are always spouting off about "freedom of speech" or "freedom of choice" and yet you now try to stifle people's freedom to post anonymously?

    You act like a little dictator and so does your hero Gary McHale. You both want freedoms but at the same time deny other's right to the same thing.

    As far as Trainer's e-mails? They don't belong to her as she is using the County's e-mail system.

    Clue in!

    The fact that this went through council is democracy at work and it's nice to see the checks and balances are there to protect the public from negligence by Mayor Trainer.

    it's all good!

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  17. Anonymous:

    First of all I don't spout off I tell the facts as they are.

    Secondly, Gary McHale is hardly my hero and to imply such in public is borderline defamation of character but then again you get away with it because as a coward you hide behind anonymous. You probably wear a mask when shouting insults at people in public as well.

    Thirdly, you spout off and imply things about people but you hide your name while using other's names in ways that are not true.

    When I send a letter to someone marked private I expect it to remain private. By the way so does the Post Office.

    It's not freedom to attack people while hiding your own name, it's cowardess and yes I'm referring to you.

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  18. To Lisa Parent;

    You spout off your hatred just as much as McHale does so quit crying victim. You're pathetic.

    And get this through your thick head.

    An e-mail on the County e-mail system IS NOT a private letter. It is totally accessible by the administrators of the county as it becomes private property of the county. The county e-mail system is not Canada Post.

    Some of you people need a life in the worst way. Quit wasting tax payers money and resources.

    I hope the town seeks reimbursement for costs against you and your like.

    You're just a bunch of public nuisances who must lead very hopeless and boring lives.

    You people don't even register in natives minds anymore. The laugh at you now to be quite honest.

    And Lisa, if I choose to be anonymous it's none of your business because that's a choice given on this blog. Are you saying I have no right to make a choice now? Are you saying I shouldn't have the freedom of choice because you don't like that I have a choice? Is that what you think?

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  19. I would like to make the final comment on this subject if I dare!

    These comments that I am making are relating to an "anonymous" comment.

    I am open to anyone's opinions if they are done in a respectful way. When a comment is stating that an individual is "pathetic" and gets too personal I do have the choice to "delete" such comments. We need to all be responsible and respectful as to what we say.

    Yes this site does allow a person to comment in an anonymous way. I don't have a problem with that, if I did I would have this site monitored.

    The problem with some comments is that a person is stating what they call are "facts", serious facts. The problem with "facts" is they only become factual when the "person" making such statements has some documentation backing what they state, if they don't it is only a "rumour". Now in saying that, in a court for example an "anonymous" person does not exist. So the only problem that I have is that we should be careful of what we "state" as facts.

    As far as wasting tax payers money and resources, what I do personally does "not" cost the taxpayers a cent, just as what you do cost the taxpayers "not" one cent!

    On Friday morning I spent one hour on the streets of Dunnville speaking to people about current issues, and had my petition in hand. I had not one person disagree with the petition! That is saying a lot in my mind!

    I would also like to comment on the issue that anonymous states "You people don't even register in native minds anymore, They laugh at you now to be quite honest".

    My site has never bashed or put down any "culture" or "race" of people. So who is "anonymous" speaking on behalf of? Regardless I am clueless as to what that statement means.

    As far as whether the resolution that council just passed is legal, let us all leave this up to the "courts" to decide. Until then we are only stating our opinions!

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  20. Well, the good news is that McHale's "wakeupcall" website and his other message board are dust..gonzo!.

    Justice does happen!

    Have a nice Labour Day.

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  21. Oops! Spoke too soon. It seems that website is back up.

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  22. Donna: RE: your quote
    "On Friday morning I spent one hour on the streets of Dunnville speaking to people about current issues, and had my petition in hand. I had not one person disagree with the petition! That is saying a lot in my mind!"

    Are you presenting all the facts of the issue or just from your\Trainer prospective?
    You seem from my view of things and correct me if I am wrong, please that you are connected with Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas as your writings are on their websites. In my opinion being connected with those two does not make me want to believe anything that you say.
    Those two were just there at Council a few weeks ago to cause trouble and further their own agenda in my opinion.
    Fighting for a cause is a good thing but do your homework and research. If you were doing your homework, I really believe you would see the whole picture and big truth. Or do you really want to see the whole picture and truth?
    Just for the record again I state there seems to be a few of us as anonymous on this blog.
    I would reveal myself but you know I do not think that you are in a place to accept the real truth and facts. I do my research, get the facts in documentation and do not believe everything that I hear.Have you got supported data from all sides of the equation? Have you talk to senior staff and councillors or info from just "Trainer tales."

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  23. Thank you for your comments. I love a good debate and I welcome you to my blog.

    First I would like to state for the record that I have indeed met Gary McHale and Mark Vandermaas. Yes they were at the council meeting a few weeks ago, and yes my blog is on Caledonia Wake up Call.

    I am open to conversation with anyone who would like to speak with me. What others do is their business. If you choose to judge me by who I have spoken to, then that is your right. Regardless, I get involved with what "I" choose, not what someone else tells me.

    I have done my homework and my research. And I have always been open to ideas, the problem with council is that other than Mayor Trainer and Councillor Boyko (which by the way he has not returned my last phone call either)no other person on council will speak to me, so how could I possibly get more information than I have. I just stopped calling my council member about 6 months ago, and that was just because he has never returned any of my calls, so hence I call the Mayor, right or wrong, that is the way it is.

    The information that I have gathered and spoke of on my site has been a collection of asking questions to the Mayor, and what I have seen personally at council meetings. As I have stated in the past, and have told the Mayor, who I voted for in the last election is my business. My reasons for speaking with the Mayor is simple; she is my council member.

    Isn't it funny that you accuse me of not getting all the facts straight yet you have just done the same thing to me by stating "I do not think that you are in a place to accept the real truth and facts". What facts did you base that statement on?

    I would love to speak with you more on this, so please call me at 905-701-1627 anytime. "Who ever" you are, I am open to all avenues.

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  24. Donna I am new to your site and have spent some time reading up on the issues. I find your site very interesting and informative. I also find your posters very interesting as well. I hope you don't mind me posting on some of these older articles, but I am really enjoying your site.

    Thank you for being so honest.

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