THUNDER BAY – Technical issues cut short what was set to be an eventful city council meeting on Monday.
Council voted to postpone deliberation on most of Monday’s agenda to Nov. 20, after staff reported the meeting was not being livestreamed online or broadcast to television on Shaw or Tbaytel.
Coun. Andrew Foulds, who moved the postponement, called it important for the discussion to proceed in full view of the public.
"Tonight there are a number of very public items that demand public scrutiny and transparency," he said.
Chief among those items were the approval of a financing plan for a proposed indoor turf facility next to the Community Auditorium, and the consideration of an integrity commissioner report into the conduct of Coun. Rajni Agarwal.
The technical issues also meant council could not hear audio from those connecting online via Microsoft Teams, including the integrity commissioner, the city indicated.
Aside from those issues, council was set to receive a fiscal update showing the city has shrunk its projected deficit for 2023, and reports on its climate adaptation strategy and a new provincially-mandated greenhouse gas emissions reduction roadmap.
The presentation of the annual Mayor’s Community Safety Awards, for which recipients had gathered in council chambers, was also rescheduled.
City clerk Krista Power called the incident a first in her career.
"We’ve been using Teams since 2020," she said. "We've had the occasional hiccup, but not something such as this, where we've needed to move all items forward to another meeting.
"It's unfortunate. I appreciate council's willingness to move items forward, and I understand their desire to have it [broadcast publicly]."
Power added the city would be working with its technology providers to understand and resolve the issue on Tuesday.
The vast majority of those who watch council meetings do so on television or online, where the city's livestream often attracts around 200 viewers, Power said. Only a handful of citizens typically attend in person.
Council did vote on one time-sensitive issue Monday, approving the completion of a project to install railings at the Fort William Gardens, along stairs in the spectator area.
The $97,000 cost will be covered by Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation dollars received for accessibility enhancements at the Gardens in advance of the 2024 Ontario Winter Games.
