The Paris Independent
5
February 3, 2024
COMMUNITY NEWS Motion to Reconsider New Main Branch Library Project turned down in 6-5 Recorded Vote By Casandra Turnbull There were some heated discussions in Council Chambers this week all surrounding the fate of the New Main Branch Library project. It all started on Tuesday during a regular Council meeting. Paris Councillor John Bell presented a Notice of Motion to reconsider a decision made by council in June 2023 to support the new library and Bawcutt Centre design concept/project. Councillor Bell’s reason to reconsider is that council is facing the largest property tax increase in county history, and he can’t justify supporting costs associated with the estimated $38 million capital project, considering the budgetary constraints this year and potentially in the years to come. “It’s in the best interest of the community and its taxpayers to step back and reconsider the approval to reconstruct a new main branch library in light of growing challenges,” said Bell, when asked by Mayor David Bailey to explain his reason for issuing a Motion to Reconsider, something Bailey said he’s never seen in his six years on council. Bell’s motion to reconsider was deferred to discussion at a special council meeting later in the week. The motion to reconsider was not up for debate, but twice during
With a narrow margin, councillors voted to continue to move forward with the Library project. Thursday’s vote of support allows the county to get final design details and bids on the construction costs, subject to council approval. Bell’s attempt to explain the logic argues that since staff authorized behind his motion, Councillor CSL to tender, the motion to Robert Chambers intervened to reconsider is irrevocable. request a Point of Order. A Brant County Council Clerk Chambers also quoted procedural clarified that staff authorized the bylaw number 44, ‘if an action is call to tender, but no actual call was approved in the motion, the motion placed, and no requests were cannot be reconsidered.’ received from contractors, “If the bell is rung you cannot un- therefore, the motion to reconsider ring it,” said Chambers. He referred is still valid. to a specific point in the original The full discussion to revoke or not motion from June 2023, where revoke support for the new main council voted and supported the branch library reconvened on concept design and asked staff to Thursday, February 1st during a authorize Collaborative Structures special afternoon council meeting, Limited to issue requests for tender held just before the last scheduled for the construction of the Main Budget meeting. Library and Bawcutt Centre to prequalified contractors. Chambers Continued on page 6
