A report from county administration could assist a reoccurring security and accessibility issue at Essex County council meetings.
During its regular session last Wednesday night, councillors opted to direct staff to come back with a report that could see members of the public having easier access.
“I just wonder what we can do to have assurance that if people want to come in and watch our meetings they can, because the door was locked,” said Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy.
Bondy noted that at 6:15 p.m. doors to the county building are being locked which denies access to the council meetings.
During 2024 budget deliberations, hiring a person to be at the door to greet and admit the public, was denied.
“We need to have these meetings open to the public and the doors should not be locked,” said Bondy.
Essex County CAO Sandra Zwiers acknowledged that it was council’s wishes to not hire a specific person to be at the door and that instead, an existing staff was now at the entrance for 15 minutes to ensure anyone who had pre-registered through the county’s website portal, is admitted.
“If it’s council’s direction to have that staff person to stay for the entire duration of the council meeting, we can schedule that staffing level,” said Zwiers.
Bondy said having the doors locked is totally unacceptable.
“People can see an item on the agenda, they could be at work, and not get here until 6:16,” Bondy stated during last week's meeting.
Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey agreed that having the doors locked and the public not being able to attend the meetings was not a good practice citing the fact that all other municipalities and the province’s legislated assembly do not have locked doors.
“The people own the seat I am sitting in,” said Bailey. “Having the doors locked means it’s a closed meeting.”
Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue hoped that when the 2025 budget is being debated, that the county will reconsider hiring a person to staff the door.
“I spent 13 years in the Legislature, and anyone can walk in there any time and go up to the gallery. They had to go through a metal detector but it never bothered me that people wanted to watch,” said Prue.
Zwiers said one reason the main doors were being locked is that the county building is going through extensive renovations and that, they are “working through the logistics.”
LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche said that in her municipality the public, even if they are not a scheduled delegation are welcome to attend and there are no locked doors.
Meloche also commented that during the county’s Official Plan proceedings that members of the public did say there was lack of access to the meetings.
“We need to be open and accessible. Can we contract security for three hours for every other Wednesday?” asked Meloche.
One reason the county has heightened its security level, which included several hired personnel at the recent Official Plan meeting, was that according to Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong the public was misinformed to the intent of the new plan.
“Maybe it’s (security) warranted because it’s a new day and people are untrustful of their government,” said DeYong.
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said having someone at the entrance door is a minimal cost and wanted to have a person there for the entire meeting duration.
“I was surprised that the door was locked,” he said.
County of Essex to look at meeting accessibility for the public
By Fred Groves
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