Whitewater Region — A heated interlude occurred at last night’s public meeting during the budget discussion.
Resident Donna Burns was asking questions and Councillor Charlene Jackson tried to answer them.
However, at one point, voices raised as the two women tried to out-talk each other. Coun. Jackson was requesting that Mayor Hal Jackson terminate the discussion with Ms. Burns because she felt Ms. Burns was not allowing her the courtesy of answering the question.
When Mayor Johnson asked Ms. Burns if the question had been answered,she ignored him and started discussing another issue. When questioned again, she answered yes, and began discussing the new issue again.
When Mayor Johnson realized the next discussion was on letters patent for the township, which had nothing to do with the budget, he shut down the conversation.
Some people in the audience let it be known with jeers that they were not happy with how discourteous Coun. Jackson was towards Ms. Burns.
The budget discussion was the second item on the agenda.
The first was the Secret Shopper report from the contingent from Arnprior. In November, Lindsay Wilson and Robin Paquette, along with other volunteers from the Arnprior area, secretly visited Whitewater Region.
At last night’s meeting, they spoke about their experience.
While overall there was a great impression after visiting Cobden, Beachburg and Westmeath, it was agreed there is some work that could be done to entice more people to live, work and play in Whitewater Region.
A meeting calendar for the township was provided, but there were some concerns with the closing of the municipal office which didn’t go along with the policy created last year.
Coun. Jackson said the policy was created last year, and already changes are being requested.
It was agreed to table the calendar so the policy could be reviewed again.
A discussion about snowmobiling concerns on Gypsy Lane was a bigger issue than physical services manager Janet Collins realized. She will bring back a further report at the Dec. 20 council meeting.
Various bylaws were passed.
These council stories, and others, will be published in next week’s edition of Whitewater News.
