City Council and PUC directors attend joint educational meeting
Saturday, January 19, 2013 by: SooToday.com Staff
NEWS RELEASE
THE CITY OF
SAULT STE. MARIE
****************************
City Council and PUC directors attend joint educational meeting
SAULT STE. MARIE - Members of City Council and the PUC Services Inc. Board of Directors attended a special caucus meeting on January 17, 2013 at the Civic Centre.
The purpose of the meeting was to provide information concerning City Council’s roles and responsibilities as the sole shareholder of PUC Inc., and the PUC Services Inc. Board of Directors’ roles and responsibilities to the shareholder.
The training session led by George Rust-D’Eye and Michael Foderick from the Toronto law firm of WeirFouldsLLP, included an oral presentation and a handout document that is available for public viewing on the City’s website www.cityssm.on.ca – search 2013 Council Minutes.
****************************
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
Entity 1/19/2013 10:13:14 AM ReportAnd as the sole shareholder, city council approved the 100K donation to Algoma University.
Way to go city council. You do a fine job; if the job description is "playing politics and screwing taxpayers".
crashed13 1/19/2013 10:18:20 AM ReportAnd once the 100k donation got to Algoma U. it was stolen anyways.
port 1/19/2013 11:01:42 AM ReportTell me this is a joke!
They are now, after decades of the city owning the PUC, finally figuring out their roles and responsibilities!
Are you kidding me!
Zap 1/19/2013 11:14:34 AM ReportI will send them a letter in QUANTUM-LANGUAGE-PARSE- SYNTAX-GRAMMAR then sue them for perjury.
diggie 1/19/2013 11:19:06 AM ReportHAHAHA - "joint" educational meeting!! Really, I thought they already smoked the wacky tabacky.
zartan 1/19/2013 11:24:38 AM ReportMaybe AU could donate back to the city to help pay for the imported lawyers...local lawyers just not official enough?
molder2 1/19/2013 11:34:26 AM ReportThey are beyond Educating!l wonder who will be footing this bill...There probably going to Embers for lunch!lol..
honda1984 1/19/2013 12:39:43 PM Reportanother big expence to cover their tracks with no outcome
columbium 1/19/2013 1:16:24 PM Reportwe could have used the donation towards the cost of replacing the water main that they mention in a earlier story.. but the PUC thought any excess money should be donated and build a ivory tower.. no accountability
ThinkAgain 1/19/2013 2:25:54 PM Reportwhy bother sending city council to the meeting, it should of been the city's lawyers considering they had to hire a Toronto Law Firm.
(This doesn't say much for the lawyers in this town)
Sam C 1/19/2013 2:52:12 PM ReportThink again, ThinkAgain. Yes, the City has lawyers, who advised Council on this matter. However, Lawyers/Law Firms specialize in various areas of the law. Likely the firm that was contracted for this presentation specializes in this area of the law, and can provide more precise information than a lawyer who typically handles real estate transactions or divorces, for instance.
Entity... other than allegations from "outraged" citizens, I have seen no indication that that donation from the PUC was inappropriate or illegal.
doggs 1/19/2013 2:57:49 PM ReportDear : City Alderman ...The year 2014 will come down in the books ,where the tax payers , will clean out CITY HALL ...Yes ,MR.Fata & MR BRUNI whom are on the PUC Board ..will not get ELECTED again ...and the Major ,Will be Replaced ...Along with loads of other Alderman ...You See the Tax Payer whom Foots the bill , of the PUC ...Will VOICE their Dis pleasure by voting ...& we will not be FOOLED AGAIN ...
AceOfBass 1/19/2013 3:34:33 PM ReportDid any of you bother to read the minutes of this meeting? From the response by those who have posted it clearly indicates you did not.
Like it or not there was no conflict in is 100,000 donation. Nobody gained financially.
Ward Councillors appointed to the PUC board have to put their councillor duties aside and support the corporation even if it goes against their Ward's wishes.
They are the Board as a member of the board not as a City Councillor.
This is a tough position to be in.
Making idle threats to councillors of not being re elected is just nonsense.
The PUC is a different entity.
Most of the posters here should read the minutes of this meeting real slow as it explains the Duties of a member of the PUC board.
Once it has sunk in you may understand the position a City councillor on the PUC Board faces.
columbium 1/19/2013 5:34:27 PM ReportAnd your point is Ace of Bass.. There is no issue with having city counselor on the board.. and for a wearing different hat(s).. the point is, they donated money, build themselved new office.. facility.. then dropped the bomb on us, on the new increase that is needed to upgrade our water supply line. this money could have been directed there
AceOfBass 1/19/2013 6:22:49 PM ReportColumbian , I don't like the rate increases either.The point I was making is it all falls on deaf ears.No one on the PUC board gives a rat a$$ about the consumer.
It is all about the PUC Corp.
None of these people are elected they are appointed by nepotism,who they know,and are well off financially.
What affects the average citizen does not affect their lifestyle.
If it affect them they would think twice before raising water and electrical rates. The only people who may connect to the people is the appointed Councillor and their hands are tied.
AceOfBass 1/19/2013 6:28:27 PM Report You want to put blame for the new office ,increased water and electrical rates.
Don't blame the City Councillors blame the non elected appointed board members they are the arrogant ones.
AceOfBass 1/19/2013 6:32:49 PM ReportThe PUC is a Corporation under the Electricity Act and because it is now not a Commission the members are appointed not elected. That is what we have to deal with.
columbium 1/19/2013 7:04:43 PM ReportThe question then is, who appoints these people and make them accountable and as for city counsel members on the commission.. they have a voice and an opinion. They should know what repercussion could come of it. Please stop defending them
PunkBob 1/20/2013 6:20:04 AM ReportThe United Nations says water cannot exceed 3 percent of your yearly income....so anyone making less then 40000$ after the rates go up. Contact them about affordable water. 40000$ would work out to about 100$ so anyone paying more then 100$ making 40000$ or less. Would have a right to complain. Everyone else, this is what happens. Every year life gets more expensive, all prices skyrocketing. Soon we will all be poor, and when that happens our economy will plummet and with that, the prices of goods. It can only go so high before we all break. Also, quick word....Those making more then 40000$ a year should have to pay 3% once all the rate hikes take effect, that would make up for those who can't afford it, im sure those who sit on the puc board would love to pay 3% of their annual income back into their own business for water and upgrades.
AceOfBass 1/20/2013 2:43:35 PM ReportColumbian,
I have been one of the biggest critics of Mayor and council.
This meeting could have been open to the public Mayor and council choose not to.
It was their say,no the taxpayers.
I don't like the way this agreement is.
The council members according to this agreement have to put the PUC first.Not the taxpayers or their ward.
The same is for the EDC Board members.
When council members appointed to these Corporation Boards don't support the Corp 's best interests they are replaced.
That is why certain members of council do not appointed to the boards .They are in favour of taxpayers and the people who elected them.
They are all in a very tough position to be in.
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
