Having been sworn-in at Monday night’s inaugural meeting, the town’s new mayor and council now are looking to start tackling the business they were elected to handle.
“I’ve spent a few long days in the office now and I’m starting to get a feel for it,” Mayor Dan Onichuk said Tuesday afternoon after attending the first Administration and Finance and Community Services executive committee meetings.
“It’s a matter of feeling my way around. I’m used to running things in a different way than they are,” he added. “But there are positive things about that and negative things.”
Mayor Onichuk noted he’s already seen some town departments have their own frustrations, especially with the current budget, the ongoing search for a permanent CAO, and a corporate audit on the horizon.
“I looked over a corporate audit from a few years ago, and not many of the recommendations were implemented from that,” he remarked. “I’m looking forward to seeing this one.”
The audit in question likely will appear before council Dec. 15.
Mayor Onichuk noted one of the first major points of business for the new council will be to work on the 2004 budget—using the lessons learned by Civic Centre staff that corrected the 2002 and 2003 ones.
The mayor said he’ll be keeping very busy on the 10 committees and boards to which he’s been appointed. But he’d also like council to re-evaluate the existing committees to see if they’re all necessary, and decide whether council should strike up some new ones addressing areas not currently covered.
“I think you’ll see some decisions come about pretty quickly once we get going,” Mayor Onichuk remarked.
The new members of the incoming council met with acting Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig last Thursday to get a briefing on current town activities and protocol, as well as to tour the Civic Centre—an exercise Mayor Onichuk called “worthwhile from a perspective of getting a better sense of the four divisions.”
But he added he’ll also discuss with council whether or not they also should get a private consultant to come in and go over the ins and outs of the town’s operations in an impartial manner.
Mayor Onichuk said he enjoyed Monday’s inaugural meeting and all the ceremony involved, and was pleased to see a crowd of more than 50 people turn out.
The evening saw Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell swear in Mayor Dan Onichuk as well as Couns. Roy Avis, Tannis Drysdale, Struchan Gilson, Todd Hamilton, Neil Kabel, and Rick Wiedenhoeft.
Coun. Wiedenhoeft agreed he thought Monday’s ceremony was well-organized, and also appreciated the good-sized crowd, but noted he prefers action over formality.
“I’m anxious to get going with this job,” he said, adding the lengthy orientation session last Thursday was more his cup of tea.
“It was very informative—almost to the point of being overwhelming. I’m still going through the information we received,” Coun. Wiedenhoeft remarked.
In fact, he noted while the councillors were supposed to take a tour of town facilities that day, they spent so much time in a meeting they had to re-schedule that to a later date.
Likewise, Coun. Hamilton said he was “surprised” by the ceremony and the number of people out to see it, noting the gravity of his elected position sunk in at the event.
“Being a councillor, you’re making a commitment. And I’m ready for that commitment,” he vowed.
He likewise was primed for the job after last Thursday’s orientation session.
“I think it was absolutely crucial for any incoming councillor to attend. The staff that organized it did a great job,” he said. “Now, I’m ready. I know it’s going to be a big learning curve, but I’m ready.”
“I can’t help but think it’s going to be a good three years ahead,” said Coun. Drysdale after attending not only a municipal orientation meeting in Thunder Bay last Thursday, and the inaugural meeting here Monday night, but also her first two committee meetings—with the Administration and Finance and Community Services executive committees—on Tuesday.
“I’ve worked with most the councillors so far. It seems we all bring a lot of experience and ideas to the table,” she added.
Coun. Drysdale noted she’s been trying to make a point of meeting more town staff, adding she’s become acquainted with the Community Services department, and was “pleased to see how engaged and positive they were in their roles.”
Coun. Gilson said Monday’s ceremony was “kind of neat,” adding organizers did a “good job.” “It looks like we have a good council. I hope we can live up to the expectations,” he chuckled yesterday.
While he certainly didn’t have to, Coun. Gilson also attended last week’s orientation session. He noted this was definitely worthwhile for the new councillors, as it not only provided info on the town and its departments, but how council meetings are run.
For instance, he noted, councillors must know when they can “pull” an item from the agenda for discussion during a meeting and when it’s too late to do so.
“You don’t always agree with everything that comes before you,” Coun. Gilson warned. “And if you’re not on a certain committee, you may not know much about a particular item until it comes before you for approval.
“You have to take your chance to have your say.”
The new council will have its first two regular meetings back-to-back on Monday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 15 (the latter being moved up a week due to the Christmas holidays).
Its first two meetings of 2004 are slated for Monday, Jan. 14 and Monday, Jan. 27.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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