Port working group meetings are to be open to the public
By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express
Meetings of the city’s recently re-established port working group will be open to the public and webstreamed.
With federal intentions to amalgamate the Oshawa Port Authority with Hamilton, city council brought the group back to monitor governance and land use at the Oshawa port.
The working group is composed of Mayor Dan Carter, Ward 2 regional councillor and development services committee chair Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Ward 5 regional councillor Brian Nicholson and Ward 1 city councillor Rosemary McConkey, along with city staff.
Passing a motion put forth by Ward 3 regional councillor Bob Chapman, council resolved the meetings will be held publicly at city hall, and open portions webstreamed and archived.
Audio from closed portions of meetings will also be recorded.
Any similar committee or working group established in the future will be required to follow the same process.
Chapman said several members of the council have championed for more “openness and transparency,” from the city.
“This is making this committee transparent to people who are interested in what we are going to do.”
Nicholson worried with the proposed amalgamation, some of the discussions of the working group will happen with the federal government.
“My concern is Ministers don’t tend to negotiate in public settings…I don’t want to create an expectation that we can’t meet.”
The last time the working group was active, Nicholson said members went to Ottawa and discussions were “done outside of the normal process.”
Council eventually voted unanimously to support Chapman’s motion.