At Monday’s regular council meeting, the issue of the city’s suspension of two residents for violating the Respectful Workplace Policy was brought up again when delegate Tim Forster sought answers that would explain why the city took that action.
The issue was revisited later in the night when coun. Cody Sebben spoke about whether it needed to result in the suspensions or if they could have found a different solution.
“I would have preferred we warned them instead of issuing a suspension,” Sebben said. “I want a discussion about having these kinds of decisions to come through council.”
Mayor Martin Ritsma turned the conversation over to CAO Joan Thompson at that point, where she informed the meeting that it was an operational decision and asked Sebben if he wanted all such decisions to be run through council. When Sebben then proposed a motion that would allow council to review its options or use mediation, it was voted down.
Council adopts strategic priorities
Emily Robson, Stratford’s corporate initiatives lead, presented a report to council last night on the city’s strategic priorities for 2024-2027 and informed council of four main areas that will be the focus: enhancing infrastructure, building housing stability, working together for greater impact, and intentionally changing to support the future.
Sebben voiced his concerns in adopting the plan, stating cost and how he feels the plan precludes the decision making process of council. Fellow councillor Jo-Dee Burbach felt the plan was beneficial for the city, stating “the exercise is valuable in itself, and it helps us understand our priorities and we get to hear from the general public.”
The motion to accept the plan passed with Sebben as the lone dissenting vote.
Allman tenders approved
Council voted to accept two tenders for work to the roof of the William Allman Arena: the bid from Grand Valley Roofing & Coatings Inc. for $351,364 plus HST (flat roofing system) and from John Kenyon Limited for $1,107,408 plus HST (barrel roofing system) were both approved.
The report to council said the cost savings between these two tenders compared to the approved budget is $91,228 and can be used as a contingency fund to be used if required.
