Rideau Lakes Grassroots Group Spokesperson Wendy Alford addresses Rideau Lakes council
Rideau Lakes councillors held their tongues after Rideau Lakes Grassroots Group (RLGG) Spokesperson Wendy Alford unleashed hers addressing the response of Councillors Jeff and Paula Banks into an integrity commissioner’s report.
Paula Banks had her pay suspended for 16 days after she called RLGG a “hate group,” during a May meeting, while Jeff was cleared of wrongdoing.
The Banks’ submitted a 54-page statement of defense of Paula’s comments, which Alford said included nothing of substance.
She noted the document, which has not been reviewed by 88.1 myFM, will be posted at a later date on their website.
Alford suggests council should look from within as to why there’s so much in-fighting.
The investigation following the “hate group,” remark came after council narrowly voted against suspending Paula Banks’ pay for 21 days in April for an investigation in January about a separate matter.
A former councillor in Smiths Falls herself, Alford says their community watchdog group is not the biggest problem this term of council has.
She continuously referred to certain council members as “The Party of Five,” noting most motions on hot button issues pass or are defeated by a vote of 5-4 with the same councillors voting similarly.
Following Alford’s delegation, Mayor Arie Hoogenboom opened the floor for councillor comments, to which there was none.
However, the motion to acknowledge the delegation, which is generally a formality municipalities undergo for the purpose of agenda minutes, was defeated, with five councillors opposing.
Story by Grant Deme
