by Joselyn Morley
The North Dundas council meetings towards the end of last year were impossible to hear at all online. Minutes of the meetings were posted after they were adopted at the following council meeting. Prior to the pandemic, the township announced they would be acquiring the technology to record and stream the council meetings, similar to that of North Grenville and other municipalities.
When I initially enquired about the technology, I was told that it was being provided by a local company or individual, and that this person was having difficulty in fulfilling the arrangement.
Later in the pandemic, the municipality was able to stream and record the meetings and broadcast them via the township’s YouTube channel. The technology worked well, until they started meeting in person. It is unclear if it was because of the plexiglass providing social distancing, but the meetings were impossible to hear online. This meant not only that council meetings were inaccessible, but that the special meetings were as well.
People can again attend the council meetings.
The person with the most votes in the last municipal election, Theresa Bergeron, was appointed as councillor. Carma Williams was elected as Warden for the 2022 year at Counties’ Council. Deputy Mayor Al Armstrong sat as Interim Warden from the time former Warden Prevost was charged in June with sexual assault and child luring.
The township hired a Communications Officer, which is a good thing for the township. Jennifer Westendorp has worked in newspaper and radio, as well as promotions person for the House of Lazarus in the past. The township has been keeping residents up to date on their website, as well as through Facebook.