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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=12307 Export date: Tue Jul 23 6:22:25 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Town receives municipal training Town Council, staff and committee members received municipal training from barrister and solicitor Fred Dean March 9th at Grace Tipling Hall. All council were present as well as six staff members and all boards were represented by a board member or secretary at the two and a half hour training session. Fred Dean, an expert in municipal law, has been visiting Shelburne for 22 years keeping Town representatives up to date on their municipal responsibilities. Monday night, he presented training at the request of the Town, when the on- site training was of additional importance for new councillors Dan Sample, and Wade Mills, also a lawyer, as well as Shelburne's newly elected Mayor Ken Bennington. CAO John Telfer says, “This training gives the basic understanding of responsibilities between Council members, staff, public and media and the ability to recognize responsibilities or job descriptions and interaction with other people.” Similarly, committee members learn to understand their roles and responsibilities as they pertain to representing Council on different boards. Mr. Dean, who does scheduled training around the Province, also speaks at workshops for associations such as ROMA, AMO and AMCTO, annual municipal conferences which provide learning opportunities to strengthen local governments. Even for returning Councillors, the CAO explains there is “always something new to learn and analyze. A refresher is always a learning opportunity for the most seasoned member of Council or staff.” In 2015, John Telfer reports that “Council and senior staff will have a continuing level of increased responsibility with the Clean Water Act.” The Safe Drinking Water Act of 2002 includes a “statutory standard of care for individuals who have decision-making authority over municipal drinking water systems or who oversee the operating authority of the system.” According to the Act, this can extend to municipal Councillors, and there are legal consequences for not acting as required by the standard of care set by the Act, “including possible fines and even imprisonment.” While Councillors are not expected to be experts on water safety, they do need to be informed about drinking water operations when making decisions that impact public health and must seek advice from experts in order to act in the best interests of their citizens. Councillors learned that one of the greatest threats to the safety standards of Ontario's drinking water is complacency; the guide for municipal governments urges Councils to be vigilant. CAO Telfer says, “Training like this brings all participants into the same room to hear it first hand and appreciate each other roles to accomplish the best decisions for all citizens and taxpayers. Also, it allows questions to be discussed and answered through the lens of a true seasoned municipal legal advisor.” By Marni Walsh |
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Post date: 2015-03-11 21:44:26 Post date GMT: 2015-03-12 01:44:26 Post modified date: 2015-03-18 16:18:19 Post modified date GMT: 2015-03-18 20:18:19 |
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