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,,.ý eleg tïois c n no Iff ctr l*eThe Canadian Champion, Friday, Aprl 1, 2005-3 «Deegtios at riw 0 tral2htto towricmii By MELANIE HENNESSEY The Champion Milton council will soon amrend its procedural bylaw to make ii casier tor local residents to speak before counc il. At Monday night's meeting. counicil endorsed changing the hylaw to allow delegations to be heard at a cormmittee or council meeting. Currently. a resident must appear before a standing committee tirst and can only make a delegation to counicil if they have new information to present that wasn't available to them at the corn mittee meeting or if a staff report bypasses committee and is pre- sented directly to counicil. Or, councillors can also bring a motion to the council meeting to, have a delegate added to the speaker list and if it receives support from. the majority of counicil, that person can then make their presentation. "They (delegations) can come straight to council if there's an item on the agenda which they want to address," Town Clerk Troy McHarg explained of the bylaw change. The bylaw will also be amnended to 'encourage' delegates to pro- vide new information at a council meeting if the malter has previ- ously been considered during a committee meeting. Milton resident Mike-Grimnwood expressedi concemns with the procedural changes, particularly the section of the hylaw that's to vMartin case in court A Brampton man charged wiîh attempted murder in connection with the shooting of a Milton resident will retumn to Burlington court May 3 to be spoken to. Basil Martin, 3 1. appeared at Ontario Court of Justice in Burlington March 23 when the retum date was set. Mr. Martin has also heen charged with possession of firearmns. November 1l, a Milton man was shot several times in his torso at his Houston Drive home. A man tumned himself in to police the next day. Mr. Martin was released on bail into the care of his tather and Fwife in November. CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR TAXES? *TAX WniDEt edî t FAST TAX KEFUND *s.ooor OFF 011il 5IOtATIORSil SERV loi T OI rni COPN 1-866-TAXWIDE DATrS Milton Mail 905-875-3726 R 'E A S N AI8L E A S OPEN DAILY 9am - lOpin KMl VIT FM (Musi be uider 12, one child per dut) 304 Days 01 *'. Y«11 I f« 905-875-1559 he aniended to read: "Ilthere are numerous delegates svishing t0 address an issue. the clerk will encourage themn to select one spokesperson îo present their views svithin the allotted tîme frame." "I don't understand svhy this change is taking place now." he saîd, noting he thinks it's making public input more difficuit and complex. He recommended ihat the amnetdments be sent back to staff to nake them "more comprehensive.- Mr. McHarg said it's the Town's curreni practîce to encourage a spokesperson to he selected, it's just not spelt out in the existing bylaxv. "If they (delegates) don't wani a spokesperson. that's fine," he said. He noted the clerk's departmenî may put individuals in touch with each other when they're registertng as delegates on the samne topic that there's a long list of speakers for to, potentially select a spokesperson. The issue of delegation length svas also dehated by counicil meinhers. Staff recommended that a delegate who appears hefore council be limnited to five minutes. which is the current practice of' many area councils. But several councillors argued this svould be too restrictive and pushed for the limiî to be upped to 10 minutes -the same time frame set out for comnsitiee delegations. 'People may not be able to say ail they want îo say in five min- utes," said Ward 4 Councillor Wendy Schau, noting this is partic- ularly true on complex issues. Ward 3 Councillor Jan Mosvbray said she surveyed residents in her ward on the issue and found they wanted 10 mnutes to speak at hoth comimiîîee and council mneetings. Council unanimously supported amnending staff's recommenda- lion from Oive minutes to 10. The updated bylaw will come back before counicil at its April 25 meeting. Melanie Hetînesse-y cîn. be reached at mhennessey(@milton- canadianchampion.com. i Toyota's Bigg9est Sales Event of the Yeau. It's Big It'go s Redu And It's backl. 400 Steeles Avenue 905s 875-1700 Www.miltontoyota.com Serý9vit01Ca on-si __I------------------ - -------------------- '- ---- 1*1m -------------------