Image

Petrolia residents question council openness as mayor seeks to limit public input

October 24, 2021

Suggestions to change the way The Town of Petrolia runs its council meeting are being questioned.

Mayor Brad Loosley is asking for the procedural bylaw governing how the meetings are run, be changed. Loosley’s suggestions include:

  • removing one of two opportunities for the public to speak to council without notice
  • if a delegation wants council to take action on any item, they have to send a letter seven days before the council meeting
  • that people appearing as delegation will have to be approved through a motion of council
  • would get rid of the August council meeting unless the mayor felt there was business which needed to be completed
  • would only allow electronic meeting participation in the case of an emergency which would be decided by the mayor
  • and that council “shall not” make an immediate decision on anything brought by a delegation to council.

This is not the first time council considered changing the amount and way residents interact with council. In Feb. 2018, in the wake of the dismissal of the chief operating officer of the town, council discussed eliminating the opportunity for public questions. Petrolia resident Norm Sutherland was one of many opposed to the move.

Friday, he wrote to the mayor and administrators voicing his opposition to Loosley’s proposed changes. “I approached council previously re my  concern about reduced meetings. We were promised “openers and transparency” by this council. These two items totally negate what was promised and what is required for effective government,” he says in the email.

In a social media post, former town councillor, Liz Welsh, also spoke against the ideas.

“Council policy and procedures are not about the mayor’s wishes. Being a councillor is about representing the residents of Petrolia in the most open and transparent way possible and making it easier for them to engage.

“You are effectively creating a barrier to participation…Municipal government is the closest tier (of government) to the citizens and belongs to the citizens.”

Welsh is also concerned there will now have to be a motion of council to agree to hear people as delegations.

“If councillors decide they do not want to hear from a particular resident our about a particular topic, they can simply not move to allow it…councillors do not get to chose who is permitted to have their voices heard.”

Council will discuss the ideas at Monday night’s virtual council meeting.

Share This

Image
Front Page

ICYMI: Record-breaking crowd at Alvinston Rodeo

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Like the movie says; if you build it, they will come. The Alvinston Pro Rodeo committee brought in larger stands hoping to accommodate visitors to the three-day event. Saturday night, those stands were filled and there were still people looking for seats according to Chairman Dan Cumming. Here’s just some of the action from the event:

Read More

Image
Front Page

Lambton Public Health issues first heat warning of the summer

June 20, 2025

FROM LAMBTON PUBLIC HEALTH With the prediction of hot and humid weather expected to start on Saturday,June 21 and continue into next week, Environment and Climate Change Canada is issuing a HeatWarning for Lambton County. Heat warnings are issued when two or more consecutive days of daytime maximum temperatures areexpected to reach 31°C or warmer and nighttime minimum temperatures are

Read More

Image
Front Page

Rural bus service starts making stops in Wyoming Monday

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Before there was money to bring a bus into Wyoming, Susan Mills was answering questions from residents about a new rural transit system. The Town of Plympton-Wyoming became a partner in the rural transit system called Huron Shores Area Transit earlier this spring. But service didn’t begin immediately. Lambton Shores, which runs the system, and its partners,

Read More

Image
Front Page

Why spend $20K to study a bridge to nowhere: McEwen

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Plympton-Wyoming Deputy Mayor Netty McEwen says it doesn’t make sense to spend $20,000 to study a bridge that goes nowhere. Paul daSilva, Director of Public Works, in a report to council June 11, suggested spending $40,000 to do Municipal Environmental Assessments on two low-traffic bridges, one on O’Brien Road, the other on Elmsley Road. “I took a

Read More