By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wilmot Township council passed its new strategic plan Monday night, but it wasn’t pretty.
The vote divided councillors in the absence of Mayor Natasha Salonen, who wasn’t able to attend for personal reasons, and resulted in the removal of a member of the public.
Kelly Linton from Linton Consulting gave members of council an overview of the draft plan, which was followed by a presentation by Baden resident Barry Wolfe, who was eventually kicked out of the meeting by Coun. Steven Martin, leading the meeting in Salonen’s absence.
Wolfe, who has a letter to the editor in this edition of the Gazette, delegated his displeasure with the plan and continued his argument in the gallery, leading to his ejection from council chambers.
Coun. Kris Wilkinson put forward a motion to have approval of the plan deferred but it was defeated in a recorded vote. Coun. Harvir Sidhu voted alongside Wilkinson. The document’s approval followed the same voting result.
Wilkinson said the finalized report was released to council and the public on Wednesday, Oct. 16 following the last strategic plan meeting just four days earlier.
“We reviewed some survey findings and have yet to see the raw data released directly to us. We haven’t had a chance to go back and dissect this and have real conversations with people who matter in this township. This is a very heavy document and a very important document that guides our work moving forward.”
Wilkinson added he wouldn’t be doing his job as a councillor if he didn’t ask for a pause because no one has had a chance to talk to residents.
“We haven’t had the opportunity to go back and get direct feedback from constituents who need us to have that conversation. While I appreciate a lot of work has gone into this and a lot of work will follow this, passing it tonight would be premature,” Wilkinson said.
Coun. Lillianne Dunstall asked Wilkinson what exactly he was looking for, suggesting council, staff and the public provided a great deal of input.
“Everything in that document we discussed at length, so I’m not sure what it is you are questioning or looking for,” she said.
Wilkinson said the plan is an important piece of what is going to happen in Wilmot over the next few years and it would be inappropriate to pass it right now. He asked council to take a few weeks to take a second sober look.
“We cannot sit on this for three business days and come to the table and say, yup, everything is great. It’s not. This is the first time we have seen a draft summary of all the information and effort that went into this. We absolutely owe it to our citizens and the taxpayers of this township to dedicate more time and effort into conversations with them,” he said.
Dunstall said she was offended by Wilkinson’s statement.
“That is not true. We spent a lot of time on this. We rolled up our sleeves and I certainly went to the table with the voices of my constituents in my ear as I am sure everyone else did, so I take offence to that, Coun. Wilkinson.”
Wilkinson responded by referring to the fact councillors didn’t see the final report until Wednesday of last week.
“No, you haven’t consulted with everybody thoroughly and this is irresponsible at this point. It is a conclusive workplan, don’t get me wrong, but it needs more thought and needs to be brought back for further consultation, so I am not in favour tonight.”
Coun. Stewart Cressman voted in favour of the plan and was critical of Wilkinson missing one of the planning meetings for councillors.
“I would remind you, Coun. Wilkinson, you didn’t make the first planning session we had and now we are rushing this? I am quite concerned that we had ample opportunity to have input. We will continue to have ample opportunity to have input into the finer details as the leadership team puts this together for our consideration to implement.”
Cressman added he has gone through the strategic planning process many times and is more than satisfied with what was presented to council. Wilkinson said he hoped staff would be able to reschedule the meeting for all elected officials to attend.
“Despite my efforts to identify, I was unable to attend that meeting due to a work commitment, I was basically told by staff at the time they weren’t going to move the meeting to accommodate all the councillors. So, I lost out on that opportunity which is unfortunate,” Wilkinson said.
Sidhu was the only other member of council to vote against passing the motion Monday night.
“I'm not sure how we could have passed an important document like the strategic plan without having a chance to properly digest and talk with our residents about it. The mayor is the head of council and should have had the opportunity to discuss the final draft prior to it being approved,” he said.
He added the first time he was able to see the final draft was last Wednesday night.
“There should have been more time given to review and digest. I understand there is an urgency to have things implemented but we need to make sure it's being done right the first time. We can not keep spending money and resources on consultants.”
Wilmot’s 2024-2027 strategic plan is meant to help township staff and council plan for growth and set goals while informing decision-making.
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