Dowden dismayed at poor communication around Seymour resignation

by Olivia Bradbury, The Shoreline/Local Journalism Initiative

Carbonear councillor Amanda Dowden says she is disappointed at the poor communication she is experiencing as a committee member on council.

Dowden made the remarks at council’s July 21 meeting after it was announced councillor Malcolm Seymour is resigning as chairman of the Public Works, Waste Management and Community Services Committee. He will remain a member of the committee, but will no longer head it.

Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Somers read out a suggested resolution to appoint councillor Stephen Penney, another committee member, as the new chairman. A motion to do so was made by Dowden, and seconded by Deputy Mayor Fred Earle. But Dowden, the third council member who sits on the committee, voiced her disappointment at not having been informed the change would be taking place.

“I would like to express my complete dismay that I did not know about this until I walked in here tonight at 5:30,” said Dowden. “I was not aware, and I sit on that committee. I’m very hurt. I think it’s disrespectful. Again, I sit on the committee. I have just as much voice as anyone and I was not aware. The communication is terrible.”

Mayor Sam Slade apologized to Dowden, saying the situation was his fault. Slade said he had hoped Seymour would change his mind about resigning and, for that reason, delayed passing on the information. “You will have to blame that one on me, that it was communications on my part,” Slade said to Dowden. “So I do apologize for that.”

Near the end of the meeting, councillor Wendy Penney thanked Seymour for his work as chairman, congratulated Penney on his new position, and voiced support for Dowden.

“I support what she said,” said Penney. “Communication is key here if we’re going to work as a team.” She added that sometimes committee members do not always hear information firsthand. “You want to be respected.”

Slade apologized to Dowden once again.

“I was hoping that councillor Seymour was going to have a little time to reflect,” Slade said. “He’s a very busy man. He’s working and I guess he figured he couldn’t do due diligence on it. Which is the reason why, when I mentioned the possibility of Stephen, he jumped all over it, so that’s where that was to. But I never meant to slight Amanda.”

Deputy Mayor Earle then addressed Seymour’s future on council.

“I’m not speaking on behalf of councillor Malcolm, but I’m sure he’s going to tell the citizens that he’s not going away anywhere and he’s going to be serving the citizens of the community like he has in the past going forward in the future,” Earle said.

Slade agreed, pointing out Seymour remains a member of the committee. “He’s still got a lot to add to public works, and I’m sure he’ll do it with great pride for the Town of Carbonear,” said the mayor.