Queen’s Jubilee Medals awarded to Legion members SEE PAGE 9
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 105 Issue 21
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 s
Special council meeting in Ryley erupts into chaos John Mather Staff Reporter
Ryley held a special council meeting Jan. 20, without a CAO and seemingly without much of an agenda. Right off the start, which was recorded by a local citizen and posted on Youtube, newly elected and sworn in Councillor Lyndie Nickel put forward a motion to have Councillor Brian Ducherer appointed as the Mayor replacing current Mayor Nik Lee. “I have no problem with an organizational meeting, but this is not an organizational meeting so that motion is out of order,” said Lee. That led to a heated discussion between Ducherer and Lee over whether the motion was valid or not. Ducherer argued any meeting could be an organizational meeting, but Lee countered saying it could not be done except at an official organizational meeting and the purpose of this meeting was only to appoint an interim CAO. Nickel said she had put a motion on the floor and it should be voted on. Lee said it wasn’t an organizational meeting and he wouldn’t entertain the motion. The mayor said Nickel’s motion could be put on the agenda for the February meeting and if Brian Ducherer was voted in as the mayor then that would be fine, but it wasn’t going to happen at the Jan. 20 meeting. Ducherer argued the mayor did have to entertain the motion and the two argued back and forth for several minutes about whether it was a legitimate meeting or not. Lee said at the conclusion of the meeting they could contact municipal affairs for a ruling but he wasn’t going to entertain it because he felt you couldn’t put any new motions on the agenda at a special meeting. “This is not a regular meeting,” said Lee.
“You sent an email to add those to the agenda and we won’t be adding them” he told Ducherer. “We don’t have a CAO appointed in the Village of Ryley and that’s the purpose of this meeting,” said Lee. “I’ll adjourn this meeting and contact Municipal Affairs because this is an unexpected turn of events that you’ve orchestrated and at the end of the day what you have to understand for us to move forward you have to have a CAO in place,” stated Lee. Lee then said he was adjourning the meeting. Lee said the meeting was going to degenerate into something it “should not be,” and the group of villagers attending the meeting started shouting at the Mayor. “We have a situation where ….,” he began. “You don’t want to deal with it …” shouted a member of the audience. “You have a motion on the floor,” the person added. Lee again said the motion was not acceptable. Lee said he would like to get legal counsel but Ducherer said he was tired of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor seeking legal counsel without the knowledge of the entire council. “I’ve ruled the motion out of order as the chair of the meeting and if Municipal Affairs says it is allowed then we will deal with it," stated Lee. The meeting disintegrated into a shouting match with residents demanding the Mayor call Municipal Affairs with them listening in and others called the Mayor names and suggested he had to resign. Lee finally said he wouldn’t entertain the debate any further which prompted more shouting from the audience. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes during which the arguing continued. Lee stated he felt the best course of action was to have a meeting with municipal affairs.
When asked if it would be open to the public, Lee said he couldn’t comment on how Municipal Affairs would conduct their meeting. Nickel said there is an issue that the council couldn’t keep a CAO and it should be debated. Nickel said she had taken time from her job to a meeting she hadn’t been advised of. Ducherer called Municipal Affairs stating they had a problem with their council. He told the person on the phone there had been a motion to replace the mayor but it had not been accepted. The person at Municipal Affairs said that no matter, other than the matter which was the purpose of the special meeting, could be accepted, unless the council agreed to add the motion. The Municipal Affairs spokesperson, on a speakerphone, asked what were the rules as set out in the Village’s procedural bylaw and no one seemed to have an answer.
He also added the chief elected official could only be appointed during an organizational meeting unless there was a bylaw stating otherwise. The spokesman from Municipal Affairs suggested council read section 159 of the Municipal Act carefully. When asked if the public could replace the mayor, they were told unless they were there as a delegation on the agenda then they could only observe. They were told an organizational meeting could only be called once a year which is generally the third week of October. The spokesman added there was nothing about having a new organizational meeting after a by-election. One of the members of the audience suggested the mayor step down and Lee thanked him for his comment. Lee said the meeting would have to be rescheduled because no interim CAO was appointed and he left, followed by Deputy Mayor Nola WoodHerrick.
Students bake goodies for fundraiser
Ryley School students prepare baked goods for sale during a fundraiser in support of youth for cancer Jan. 18. The students baked and sold treats such as brownies, cupcakes, Rice Krispie squares, Puffed Wheat squares and chocolate chip cookies. The bake sale raised more than $200 for their cause.