Fort Frances town council may end up dissolving the various executive committees, and start hearing all matters in committee of the whole, if a suggestion by Mayor Dan Onichuk ends up being approved.
The mayor voiced his idea at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting at the point when the agenda called for the mayor’s appointments of councillors to the various executive committees—an issue that had been deferred at two previous council meetings (Dec. 13 and 20).
“I would like to request that the issue be tabled and council meet to discuss the elimination of executive committees,” said Mayor Onichuk.
He added “all matters received” would be “reviewed in a separate committee of the whole meeting on a bi-weekly basis.”
“Through my discussions with the councillors, there’s been a couple indications that this would be beneficial, where all councillors could hear all issues,” the mayor noted.
He cited as an example the fact Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft had three reports from the Operations and Facilities executive committee pulled from the committee of the whole agenda for clarification at Monday’s meeting.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft had done so, noting he needed more details about the items before approving them. Since he is not on the Operations and Facilities executive committee, he did not attend the meetings at which the items were initially discussed.
Couns. Wiedenhoeft, Neil Kabel, Todd Hamilton, Roy Avis, and Struchan Gilson agreed to discuss the mayor’s request at a future meeting—the date of which still is to be determined by the clerk and CAO.
Coun. Tannis Drysdale was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.
Mayor Onichuk originally was to appoint councillors to the various executive committees at the Dec. 13 council meeting, but some councillors had disagreed with the appointments as they stood at that time.
Rather, they wanted to remain with the executive committees they already were on in order to learn more about the town’s respective divisions (Administration and Finance, Community Services, Operations and Facilities, and Planning and Development).
The matter was tabled until the Dec. 20 council meeting.
Then at the Dec. 20 council meeting, Mayor Onichuk withdrew his motion to make the appointments.
At the time, he said he was electing to wait until the Jan. 10 meeting, so he’d have more time to speak with the councillors about the executive committee appointments.
< *c>Ski trails
Also at Monday night’s meeting, Coun. Gilson applauded the condition of the Eighth Street ski trails.
“It appears they’re in tremendous shape,” said Coun. Gilson, adding Bob Holmes and his volunteers have done an excellent job maintaining the trails.
He also told council the ski trails were “very well used” by the community.
Coun. Gilson said he was the only person at the trails when he went on them last Sunday morning, but when he came off, there were eight other vehicles parked at the Eighth Street entrance.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
