The last meeting of Chatham-Kent (CK) council was anything but calm due to the Community Hub project.
Discussions about the project have been ongoing for roughly two years. But during Monday night’s meeting, the conversation became hostile as councillors tried to ensure they were doing what they believe is best for the municipality and their constituents.
Councillor Michael Bondy has completed four terms on council and told CK News Today that he has never seen one so divided.
“I've never seen council get as argumentative with one another or agitated with one another. I've seen more controversial topics, but I've never seen the tensions quite so high within the ranks of council,” Bondy said. “Council has typically been a little more united, a little more protective of one another, but not anymore.
During the meeting, Councillor Alysson Storey brought forward a motion to postpone the awarding of the Community Hub construction contract until staff could research further lifecycle costs.
Councillor Lauren Anderson passionately explained why she wasn’t in support of Storey’s motion.
“I find that the filibustering during council meetings on this topic has deterred the public from really listening to council meetings and getting the facts in real time,” said Anderson. “I also think that it's allowed those that are opposed to nitpick and snip apart certain things that would deter people from being in favor of a project like this, and I think that's been detrimental to the public outlook on this project.”
During an interview with CK News Today, Councillor Rhonda Jubenville also expressed that she felt comments made during the meeting were unnecessary.
“For one councillor to project that another councillor is wrong or acting in bad faith because they have an opposing decision, I don't think is good politics,” Jubenville continued. “These comments, they paint council with a negative perspective.”
Storey responded to Anderson's comment, calling it a "bit of a cheap shot."
“I think it's fairly common knowledge right now that I mean, I have been insulted and targeted. I've been interrupted at council meetings, and people have been trying to silence me for asking questions about this since the beginning of the term. So, I've gotten a pretty thick skin throughout this process,” said Storey.
Earlier in the evening, staff confirmed the construction of the Community Hub would not lead to the closure of other Libraries throughout CK. However, during Storey’s speech, she said that there is no way to know that for sure.
“We know that libraries in the past, if you paid attention to any budget session for the last 30 years, libraries are on the chopping block almost every year,” Storey said.
Councillor Melissa Harrigan immediately called a point of privilege, noting that what Storey had said contradicts the information and responses staff have provided.
“I would like to reassure my constituents that I have heard and seen that local libraries and rural committees are not going to be impacted from this. Our (Chief Financial Officer) has said this, and so for the mover to suggest that that is not true does impugn in some way the integrity of council,” said Harrigan.
Storey asked for the opportunity to respond to Harrigan, but Mayor Darrin Canniff said no, since her five minutes to talk were up.
“I think anyone who's ever attended a meeting, you know that the chair sets the tone of the meeting, and it's the responsibility of the chair to maintain order and decorum. And Monday night I think was a good example of why that's so important,” said Storey.
Canniff argues that he has no control over what people say.
“That's their right as a councillor, to express opinions,” Canniff said.
Another point of contention during the meeting was a speech made by Councillor Trevor Thompson, who had been opposed to the Hub since the initial conversation began.
“The Hub has always been a divisive concept from the beginning, and that is very, very true. I might get in trouble here. So divisive that some folks in that closed session voted no. Some folks voted yes, and some folks decided to vote yes in closed and make a public display because they wanted to vote no in open because of politics,” said Thompson.
He noted that was the moment the lines were cast off.
“The ship has sailed, and I don't want to play these games anymore,” Thompson continued.
Bondy was ‘surprised’ that the meeting became so heated as he felt the pinnacle of the issue happened when council voted to proceed with the tender.
“I thought it was going to be a rubber stamp. I thought it would be a four, five-minute conversation, and it wasn't, obviously,” Bondy added.
CK News Today also reached out to Councillor Melissa Harrigan and Councillor Lauren Anderson, but has not heard back at the time of this publication.
More information about the Community Hub project can be found on the municipality's website.
