Mayor Trevor Birtch

https://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com//woodstocks-chilly

Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch says he cannot fathom the reasoning used by Councillor Sandra Talbot who chose to ignore the recommendations of a board she sits on and travel out of the Country recently. Councillor Talbot may not have broken the letter of the law but she sure stomped on the spirit of it Birtch says. She sat in on meetings where the decision was made to advise people to avoid any unnecessary travel, but she decided the rules do not apply to her. Birtch adde...d that She has added fuel to the fire of disdain people have of elected officials. This ill advised decision reflects badly on the entire councils of both the City and Oxford County. Why should people follow the advice of the Public Health when it comes to trying to control this pandemic when a Board member won’t. Birtch says he will ask County Council, at its next meeting to review the Councillor’s conduct and contemplate rescinding her appointment to the Board. She has lost all credibility and her continued presence on the Board will serve to undermine any further actions it may take. This display will not deter the rest of City Council and City staff from proceeding in its work. The rest of Council is united in its determination to provide the best governance for the citizens of the 'Friendly City'. Despite Councillor Talbot’s actions, we continue to ask people to follow the recommendations of Southwest Public Health and we will continue to do all we can until this scourge is brought under control and we can look forward to returning to some sort of normalcy. Unlike over levels of government, there is very little council can do when it comes to the actions of another Councillor. Under the Municipal Act, the reported actions of Councillor Talbot are not in contravention of the legislation. At the municipal level Councillors are independent. Time off or vacations do not require approval of Council, the Mayor, or city staff. There is a code of conduct that elected officials are supposed to uphold, but reasons to remove a Councillor are very limited. Myself and the rest of city Council agree that elected officials should be held to a higher standard, leading by example which means adhering to the principles of Public Health and senior levels of government. If anything, this lack of common sense and decency of the part of the Councillor has united the rest of Council even more and we will strive to serve the people of Woodstock to the best of our ability." Mayor Trevor Birtch City of Woodstock

Woodstock City Council meeting today on zoom.

Season's greetings from Mayor Trevor Birtch 'Tis usually the season to gather with friends and family and reflect on all our blessings. While we will be celebrating the holidays differently this year, we still have so much to be grateful for. The #FriendlyCity has many opportunities to create and celebrate special memories with those close and distant. I am so grateful for the generous citizens in our community that are making extra efforts to help with some of those who are struggling and vulnerable. I am proud of the added efforts now, and all throughout #COVID19 During the holidays my family and I extend our best wishes for the season and a safe and healthy new year for you.

City of Woodstock 2021 Capital budget meeting...

Social media posts are promoting an anti-lockdown Freedom rally for the City of Woodstock this Sunday. As Mayor of the City of Woodstock I want to say that we respect people’s right to express their views but we do not condone or support any event that contravenes Provincial Regulations and the recommendations of our Public Health Officials. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides the right to peaceful assembly and the right to express opinions and beliefs. Pro...vincial Regulations establishes limits on outdoor gatherings but does not require the use of face masks in outdoor settings. The City of Woodstock and city council, believe the safety of our community is paramount and any activity that unnecessarily increases the risk of exposure is unacceptable. To the organizers and attendees of the event I caution that Woodstock Police Service will be on-hand, monitoring the event to ensure the safety of everyone and will respond to violations of any laws as deemed necessary. Woodstock Police Service's role throughout the COVID-19 response has been to maintain the health and safety of all residents of Woodstock by ensuring that Emergency Orders are adhered to and where necessary and appropriate, lay charges in relation to violations of those orders. That role will continue this weekend. Public safety is our priority as is the maintenance of peace and enforcement of laws to protect the citizens of our community. To our community, I ask that you not attend, that you not interact with attendees, that you stay within your social circle and continue to follow the recommendations of our Public Health Officials. I caution against added interaction on social media; which has the unintended consequence of promoting the event. Remember Friendly City, we are all in this together.

Oxford County Council this morning on Webex

Woodstock city council zoom meeting live streaming at 1:30pm

https://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com//wilkinson-sworn-i

https://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com//woodstock-council