RIDEAU LAKES — A motion calling for a return to in-person meetings and mandatory chair training was deferred at Rideau Lakes council, following debate over authority, procedure and safety oversight during a regular meeting on April 7.
Coun. Paula Banks brought forward the motion, which proposed continuing remote meetings beyond April 9, 2026, while requiring members who chair meetings to complete procedural and chair training through Municipal Government Training in Dorchester.
The motion also suggested that any councillor who declined the training would not be permitted to chair meetings, with the role passing to another member who had completed or agreed to complete the training.
Questions quickly arose about whether those conditions could be applied to the mayor.
Staff indicated that the mayor’s role as head of council and chair of both council and committee of the whole is governed by legislation and existing bylaws.
“In my opinion, I don’t think that it can be made mandatory for the head of council to take training or any member of council to take training, and if they don’t, they can’t chair the meeting,” clerk Mary Ellen Truelove said.
The clerk added that while the committee of the whole bylaw could be changed, council meeting procedures tied to the mayor’s role could not be altered in tha way.
Mayor Arie Hoogenboom said the motion contained several issues, including directing training that cannot be made mandatory and attempting to override established procedures.
“We cannot direct other members of council or the mayor to take any training,” he said, adding that the Municipal Act is clear the mayor chairs council and committee of the whole unless they vacate the role.
He urged council to set the motion aside.
Coun. Jeff Banks expressed frustration with the continued use of remote meetings and questioned why council had not yet returned to in-person sessions.
“There’s no need for us to be virtual anymore,” he said, adding he would support additional training and would be willing to take it himself.
Banks also raised concerns about delays in returning to in-person meetings, noting earlier expectations that council would reconvene sooner.
Coun. Paula Banks defended the need for training, citing past meeting disruptions and ongoing procedural challenges.
She pointed to issues with meeting control and understanding of procedural bylaws as contributing factors to tension during meetings.
During her remarks, a point of order was raised regarding personal comments, and the chair , Deputy Mayor Sue Dunfield, ruled discussion should remain focused on the motion, not personalities.
Paula Banks later agreed to defer the motion until after the April 9 meeting of the joint health and safety committee.
Chief administrative officer Shellee Fournier said the decision on whether meetings can return to an in-person format currently rests with that committee, which is reviewing a report prepared by the Public Services Health and Safety Association.
If council does not follow the committee’s recommendations, Fournier said the matter could be escalated to the Ministry of Labour.
The committee is expected to review the report and provide direction following its April 9 meeting.
Council voted unanimously to defer the motion.
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