Campion questions need for secret NPCA meetings
Board holds closed-door sessions Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 at Staybridge Suites in Niagara-on-the-Lake
A former Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board member says the organization’s recent in-camera meetings may be unethical, because the majority of the board won’t be returning.
Welland Mayor Frank Campion — who resigned from the organization last week — said the out-going board should be leaving decisions about personnel to their replacements to make, rather than discussing them during closed-door meetings held by the NPCA board on Nov. 28 and on Dec. 3 at Staybridge Suites in Niagara-onthe-Lake.
“I understand from the agenda that the last meeting was a personnel issue,” said Campion, who did not attend the meetings. “It’s odd to me that they would be doing this type of business at the end of their mandate. Whatever they’re discussing should maybe go to the new board.
“You can be technically lame duck, or ethically lame duck. When we’re done, we’re done,” Campion said. “Should we be making any big decisions? No.”
Campion said there can be circumstances that would require the board to deal with such issues immediately, “but it is not common.”
Paul MacPherson, a Lincoln town councillor who has served with the board for more than a year since replacing Bill Hodgson, would not shed light on the topic or the outcome of the closed-doors discussion.
“I don’t think I’m really at liberty to say much right now about what went on there. I think that will all come out over the next few days,” he said.
Asked if any decisions were made during the recent in-camera meetings, NPCA communications manager Mike Reles said: “Nothing to report at this time.”
Board vice-chair James Kaspersetz, too, would not comment on the recent meetings.
MacPherson disagreed with Campion’s concerns.
“I don’t see it that way. I see the board continuing until a new board is selected,” he said. “As far as it goes right now, we’re operating as the existing board. That may change on Thursday night at the Region. Depending on what that decision is, we may be done.”
NPCA representatives have recently said the board would invoke an unused Ontario government order in council dating back to 1994 to select members of the new board of directors, allowing outgoing NPCA chair Sandy Annunziata to oversee a series of meetings to determine the next board’s membership.
That claim has since been rejected by the provincial government, because the order in council was made under a previous provision of the Conservation Authorities Act that has since been revoked.
A motion approved by St. Catharines city council asks incoming Niagara regional councillors to appoint an interim NPCA board at their inaugural meeting on Thursday, immediately replacing existing board members.