A new agreement approved by Guelph-Eramosa council means the township will continue to pay significantly more for closed meeting investigations than the six other municipalities in the county.
But after the Advertiser pointed out the higher cost, and that Guelph-Eramosa is the only municipality in the county not using Norm Gamble as its investigator, Mayor Chris White suggested council could change its decision.
“If it’s not too late, maybe we can look at it again,” White said in an interview on Dec. 20.
Four days earlier council unanimously passed a bylaw re-appointing Local Authority Services (LAS) as its meeting investigator for 2014-15.
White said as long as the actual agreement has not been signed by officials from both LAS and the township, the decision could be reversed by council.
“I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but we could [repeal] the bylaw and look at it again, if we’re not too late,” he told the Advertiser.
“Because … Norm has done a fantastic job [for the county], and then of course, there’s the cost.”
The township, which has retained LAS through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario as its investigator since 2008, hasn’t had a closed meeting investigation to date.
On Dec. 16 council renewed its agreement with LAS for 2014 and 2015, including an annual retainer increase of 10% (from $300 to $330), and an hourly fee increase of 44% (from $156 to $225).
In its correspondence to the township, LAS rationalized the increases by stating:
– it has not increased fees since 2008;
– the retainer fee increase “is comparable to the rate of inflation over the same six-year period;” and
– the hourly fee increase “is required to ensure [investigators] have the required calibre and expertise to complete any required investigations in a professional and credible fashion.”
The fees charged by Gamble, a former chief administrative officer for Grey County, are considerably lower, including a $200 annual retainer and a daily fee of $350, or $175 for a half day, both of which have not changed since 2008.
If the township had one closed meeting investigation per year that required eight hours of work, the costs would break down as follows (not including expenses):
– LAS, a $330 annual retainer, plus $1,800 in hourly fees, for a total of $2,130; and
– Gamble, $200 annual fee plus a $350 daily fee, for a total of $550.
White said the decision to hire LAS in 2008 – “we didn’t know Gamble then” – was made because there were “some issues on council at the time” and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) had the expertise to deal with municipal councils.
(The previous Guelph-Eramosa council was regarded by many as dysfunctional, culminating in two councillors engaging in legal action against one another.)
In a report to council on Dec. 16, clerk Meaghen Reid noted 131 municipalities use LAS for meeting investigations.
She stated LAS was chosen by the township because its review officers “have extensive experience and training with regard to municipal government and municipal processes.”
At the meeting councillor Doug Breen asked if LAS was doing a good job on the investigations it was completing in other municipalities.
“They are,” Reid replied.
But it now appears the township could reconsider its decision to hire LAS – if not right away, then after the 2014-15 agreement expires.
“Maybe it’s something we look at going forward,” White said. “But I have faith in AMO.”
