2007-09-17_Minutes--Procès-verbal
September 17, 2007
239-2007
Minutes of the Portion of the Committee of the Whole Meeting Open to the Public
Monday September 17, 2007, 4:50 p.m.
Council Chamber, City Hall
Present:
Mayor McFarlane,
Deputy Mayor Hooton and Councillors, Chase, Court, Farren, Ferguson,
McGuire, Tait, and Titus
- and -
T. Totten, City Manager; J. Nugent, City Solicitor; C. Graham, Comptroller;
Finance; J. Baird, Commissioner of Planning and Development; P. Groody,
Commissioner of Municipal Operations; P. Woods, Deputy City Manager and
Common Clerk, and E. Gormley, Assistant Common Clerk.
1. Meeting Called To Order
The Mayor called the Committee of the Whole meeting to order.
2. Discussion of Confidential Matters
On motion of Deputy Mayor Hooton
Seconded by Councillor Court
RESOLVED that the public be excluded from the meeting for the
Contract Negotiations 10.2(4)(j).
duration of the discussion on the following matter(s):
Question being taken, the motion was carried.
The Mayor called the Committee of the Whole meeting, (Open to the public) to order.
1. Community Benefit Optimization Blueprint
The Mayor advised that the presentation to have been given by David Hardy of Hardy
Stevenson & Associates Limited will be brought forward at a later date and the
Committee agreed that this item be withdrawn from the agenda.
On motion of Councillor Tait
Seconded by Councillor Court
WHEREAS;
THE DEMISE OF UNB-SJ WOULD MAKE SAINT JOHN, --THE LARGEST
ANGLOPHONE CITY IN OUR PROVINCE, ----THE ONLY CITY IN CANADA OF ITS
SIZE WITHOUT A UNIVERSITY!
WHEREAS:
OVER THE PAST FORTY YEARS AND INDEED TODAY ----TAXPAYERS, LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, FAMILIES AND CORPORATIONS HAVE INVESTED IN UNB SAINT
JOHN--- (SPECIFCALLY),---- TIME, EXPERTISE, AND FINANICAL ASSISTANCE TO
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240-2007
BUILD AND RETAIN ITS STATUS AS A HIGHLY RECOGNIZED INSTITUTE OF
HIGER LEARNING
WHEREAS:
THE PRESENT GROWTH AND VITALITY OF OUR CITY WILL ONLY BE SUSTAINED
LONG TERM WITH THE PRESENCE OF UNB-SJ AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT
OF OUR SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC FABRIC
WHEREAS:
THE CITY STANDS TO LOSE OUR DEDICATED MEDICAL SCHOOL, WITHOUT UNB-
SJ WITH ITS EXISTING STRONG SCIENCE AND ARTS PROGRAMS, GRADUATE
FACULTY AND RESEARCH CAPABILITIES ------AS SECURING A PARTNER
MEDICAL SCHOOL WOULD BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE WITH ONLY A POLYTECH
INSTITUTE
WHEREAS:
OUR CITY NEEDS UNB-SJ TO EDUCATE PEOPLE FOR NON-INDUSTRIAL JOBS
AND WITHOUT IT, THERE WOULD BE A CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THE
FOLLOWING:
(A) THE RETIREMENT OF OUR BABY BOOMER BUSINESS, ECONOMIC,
, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL
ETC.
(B) DECREASED NUMBERS OF LOCAL UNIVERSITY TRAINED
PROFESSIONALS WHO TEND TO STAY IN SAINT JOHN
(C) DECREASED IMMIGRATION OF YOUNG FAMILIES AND
PROSPECTIVE LEADERS WHO TEND TO SELECT HOMES IN A CITY
WITH A UNIVERSITY
ALL OF WHICH WOULD SEE A CITY THAT HAS FLOURISHED, LEFT
WITHOUT THIS ESSENTIAL GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE
NEEDED TO COMPLEMENT THE HIGHLY VALUED AND MUCH NEEDED
GRADUATES OF NBCC
WHEREAS:
UNB-SJ HAS AFFORDED OUR HIGH NUMBERS OF SINGLE PARENTS, LOW
AND MIDDLE INCOME,--YOUTH AND MATURE STUDENTS --THE ONLY
AFFORDABLE MEANS OF SECURING UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES AND
MANY MASTER’S COURSES ON SITE:
BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL SEND A LETTER TO THE
PREMIER AND MINISTER OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION STATING
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THAT UNB-SAINT JOHN SHOULD REMAIN INTACT AS AN INSTITUTION OF
HIGHER LEARNING
AND FURTHUR BE IT RESOL VED THAT ALTERNATIVES BE EXPLORED
THAT BUILD ON THE STRENGTHS OF OUR TWO FINE EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS, NBCC AND UNB-SJ WITH THE IMMEDIATE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A MAYOR’S TASK FORCE COMPRISED OF
STAKEHOLDERS IN GREATER SAINT JOHN REGION
I SO MOVE
Question being taken, the motion was carried.
On motion of Councillor Tait
Seconded by Councillor Court
RESOLVED that a group from UNBSJ be permitted to present to
Council this evening on the issue described in the resolution above.
Question being taken, the motion was carried.
Morris Mendelson, Member of the Business Faculty UNBSJ, Deborah Lindsay, Greg
Marquis and Elizabeth McGahan spoke against the Province’s Report on Secondary
Education recommendation to form a Polytechnical Institute from the existing UNBSJ
and NBCC in Saint John.
2. Management Sick Leave
Referring to a submitted report, the City Manager reviewed Council’s resolution to
engage the services of a human resource professional to review the Management Sick
Leave policy, and introduced Patrick C. Harling of SPL Development Services.
Referring to a submitted report, Mr. Harling presented information on the subject of sick
leave, and made several recommendations as listed in his submitted report.
On motion of Councillor Chase
Seconded by Deputy Mayor Hooton
RESOLVED that the City Manager be directed to review the report
and recommendations presented by Patrick C. Harling of SPL Development Services,
and put together a plan of action for implementation of the recommendations.
Question being taken, the motion was carried.
(Deputy Mayor Hooton and Councillor Court withdrew from the meeting.)
3. Sick Leave Teach-In
The City Manager introduced his submitted report detailing annual sick leave by
employee group, the cost of the sick leave and comparison to other cities in the Atlantic
Provinces. The Manager of Human Resources responded to Councillors questions on
the report.
September 17, 2007
242-2007
On motion of Councillor Titus
Seconded by Councillor Tait
RESOLVED that the submitted report providing statistics on
annual employee sick leave, be received for information.
Question being taken, the motion was carried, with Councillor Ferguson voting nay.
Common Clerk