Moreover, current city councillor Kathleen Duncan was elected six years ago following several years as president of the WMA. The same can be said of former councillor Tom Thompson, whose career as a part-time public official began in that same position. Barbara Moore served on council following a stint on the WMA board - and the list goes on.
In short - and at the risk of sounding like a line from one of those cheesy public service puff pieces - the WMA has traditionally played a very strong role in Westmount's political life, and part of its mandate has been to help facilitate residents' access to the municipal government. Now, under current president Jean-Pierre Picard and vice-president Paul Marriott, that tradition of access and (hopefully) transparency is being furthered through its monthly series of guest speakers taken directly from that long, curved table in the Westmount city council chamber.
Last week, city councillor Tim Price was invited to give WMA members - and the general public - an overview of Westmount's financial situation and its current policies in that area. As is the norm, a question period followed the presentation, allowing residents to further inquire into details of the city's financial practices. This presentation was of great interest to all Westmounters, from armchair accountants to engaged citizens who want to know where their tax dollars are going.
The Feb. 13 WMA meeting promises to be even more exciting, with city councillor Patrick Martin scheduled to speak about his Public Works portfolio and, of course, the Westmount Recreation Centre - easily the most volatile, controversial and misunderstood issue to rear its head in recent years. That meeting will no doubt allow WMA members and other residents to question Mr. Martin on the facts of the project and get some straight answers.
As it has been pointed out many times - by members of both camps - this is the largest expenditure Westmount has ever undertaken, notwithstanding the $20 million in government grants, so it is very important that taxpayers be given easy access and ample opportunity to question their elected officials on the soon-to-be-built Westmount Recreation Centre.
The WMA is to be congratulated for continuing its time-honoured tradition of facilitating citizens' access to the municipal government through this timely and informative speaker series.
Lulham cleared the air
A simple complaint by a resident to a city councillor last fall ended up escalating into a nasty little comedy of errors that culminated in a formal public statement in the council chamber last week, whereby Councillor Cynthia Lulham cleared up the now-infamous Oxfam Affair.
In short, a group of young fundraisers for Oxfam soliciting in Westmount were asked to leave by Public Security following a call from Councillor Lulham, who was responding to a complaint from a resident. This is where the perceived ambiguity of the existing bylaw on solicitation comes into play. Not having the bylaw in front of her, Lulham says she simply asked Public Security to look into the situation and to act in accordance with the bylaw. It is unclear whether Public Security mistook Lulham's call as a directive to eject the canvassers or simply acted without consulting the bylaw.
But all that doesn't matter now. What we do know for sure is that the entire incident was an embarrassment for all concerned - something that should never have happened in the first place. However, Councillor Lulham's statement last week ended on a bright note, as she said council will be reviewing the bylaw. This comes as great nerws, for with a clear set of rules spelled out for everyone to interpret precisely, awkward misunderstandings such as the infamous Oxfam Affair need never be repeated.
