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THE INDEPENDENT Wednesday, August 2, 2006 32 Pages Circulation 21,220 Voted Ontario's best newspaper INSIDE Georgetown Fall Fair booklet (Georgetown rural deliveries only) Library tip: Listen to best-sellers while on the move Page 12 Editorial 6 Joyce Savoline 7 Entertainment 8 Calendar 11 Sports 15, 16 Classifieds 17-19 FRIDAY... "Phishing" season is under way but e-mail users don't want to get hooked, say local police officials. See details in Friday's edition. For breaking news go to: www.independentfreepress.com Gymnasts end season with Oshawa meet Page 15 Region trying to attract tourists-- chair Page 7 Vol. 129 No. 20 Councillors' attendance rates an `A' CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer With five meetings remaining in the 2003-2006 term, the attendance record of the 11 members of council is generally good. There have been 64 council meetings so far (from Dec 1, 2003 to July 10, 2006), and only Ward 3 Councillor Mike Davis had perfect attendance. His ward mate, Moya Johnson has the worst attendance record, missing seven regularly scheduled meetings (three in 2004, three in 2005 and one so far in 2006). There are, on average, 25 meetings per year during the three-year term. In an interview, Johnson said the meetings were missed for a number of reasons: major surgery in 2004, business meetings and out-of-the-country vacations. "It's a sensitive issue," Johnson said. "People think you don't care if you don't attend a meeting, but nothing could be further from the truth. We (councillors) don't take missing a meeting lightly." Johnson says if she knows that a missed meeting is unavoidable she works with her ward mates (Jane Fogal and Davis) to ensure her views are known on an issue, or that it is deferred to the following meeting. "We are a team, and as councillors as a whole, we are respectful of each other's need to be away at times, for whatever reason. ... I do feel the community understands that and that I represent them well." Mayor Rick Bonnette has missed two meetings (one in 2004 and the other this year). Wards 1 and 2 Regional Councillor Clark Somerville missed only one (in 2006) while Wards 3 and 4 Regional Councillor Jane Fogal was absent for three-- one in each of the three years. See TAKING, pg. 3 TAKING ATTENDANCE: There have been 64 Town council meetings so far this term. Combined, the 11 members of council have missed a total of 29 of them. Continued from pg. 1 As representatives to Halton Regional Council, Bonnette, Somerville and Fogal also have a number of additional weekly meetings to attend. Each was marked absent for one of the 34 meetings over the three-year period. Bonnette, as a member of the planning and public works committee missed four of those 49 meetings. Health and Social Services member Somerville was marked absent for three of the 39 meetings and Fogal was absent twice for the 38 Administration and Finance committee meetings. However, all three often attended each other's committee meetings, particularly if Halton Hills items were on the agenda. Back to municipal council: Ward 1 Councillor Jon Hurst missed one meeting (in 2004) and his ward mate Mike O'Leary missed two (one in 2004 and the other this year). Ward 2 Councillor Bryan Lewis was absent for two (one in 2004 and the other in 2006) while Ward 2 Councillor Joan Robson was absent for three-- one in 2004, two in 2005 (one of which was an unscheduled special council meeting). Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis missed five council meetings-- two in 2004 and three in 2005. Two of the five were unscheduled special council meetings. Retiring Ward 4 Councillor Ron Chatten missed three meetings including one unscheduled special council meeting. Council meetings are held every other week-- except in the summer where there is only one meeting per month. Councillors are also required to sit as member of the Corporate or Community Affairs committee, which meets about once a month or more or less, if necessary. Community affairs and corporate affairs committees were set up to handle many of the important, but often housekeeping, issues that slow down a regular council meeting; council membership is split between the two committees. The meetings are often held right before a council meeting (hence a missed council meeting and committee meeting could often be the same day). Community Affairs members are Davis, Hurst, Inglis, and Johnson. Somerville started the term on the committee, but switched at the halfway point with Lewis. The mayor sits as an ex-officio member, which means he may or may not attend depending on his schedule. During the three-year period of 25 meetings, Bonnette missed 10, Inglis four, Lewis four, Johnson two, Somerville one, Davis two, and Hurst none. Corporate Affairs members are Bonnette (ex-officio), Chatten, Fogal, Lewis (Somerville), O'Leary and Robson. Of the 12 meetings over the three-year term to date, Bonnette, Fogal, Lewis and O'Leary have all missed one. All councillors are members of the budget committee, which decides on property taxes each year. Of the 15 meetings Chatten missed two, Davis two, Inglis one, Lewis one and Fogal one. Councillors also serve as a council appointee to various boards and committees-- such as the police services board, Conservation Halton, vandalism committee, etc.-- and a perusal of meeting minutes show that councillors also had a good record of attendance. Somerville sits on five boards/committees while while Lewis and Fogal serve on four. Inglis, Davis, Robson, Johnson and Bonnette sit on three while Hurst, Chatten and O'Leary are members of two each. In 2006, the mayor will be paid $49,463 for town service and $36,535 for regional service for a total $85,998 salary. Regional councillors receive $21,047 for town service and $36,535 for regional service for a total $57,582. Local councillors receive $21,047. So far, all councillors, with the exception of Davis, have filed to seek re-election in November 13 municipal election. Councillor Ron Chatten is retiring. In May, the provincial government changed the term of office from three years to four. The Town has four wards, 1 (Acton), 2 (rural area including Glen Williams and Norval), 3 (west and central Georgetown) and 4 (east and south Georgetown). Besides the mayor, there are two local representatives for each ward and two regional councillors, one serving the Acton and rural area and the other serving the Georgetown urban area. RICK BONNETTE (2 meetings missed) RON CHATTEN (3 meetings missed) MIKE DAVIS (0 meetings missed) JANE FOGAL (3 meetings missed) JON HURST (1 meeting missed) CLARK SOMERVILLE (1 meeting missed) BOB INGLIS (5 meetings missed) JOAN ROBSON (3 meetings missed) MIKE O'LEARY (2 meetings missed) MOYA JOHNSON (7 meetings missed) BRYAN LEWIS (2 meetings missed) Cynthia Gamble can be reached at cgamble@independentfreepress.com) It's hot... but not THAT hot! Okay, so it wasn't quite hot enough to fry eggs (or bacon) on the pavement, but Ares Restaurant owner Sam Govas was willing to give it a try Monday as the temperature reached 36C. Some relief is expected for the rest of the week with the temperatures settling into the high-20s with the chance of thunderstorms. Photo by Ted Brown GEORGETOWN