On July 7, the MRC Pontiac council of mayors met for a special meeting at the MRC office in Campbell’s Bay, with the sole item on the agenda being listed as “Human resources files.”

The public part of the meeting, which was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., was preceded by an in-camera (private) discussion by the mayors and didn’t actually get underway until 6:45 p.m. In-camera sessions are used when the council is discussing sensitive topics, typically relating to human resources issues.

The mayors voted unanimously to approve $19,525 plus taxes and expenses for “human resources training,” and the public meeting adjourned within about five minutes.

CHIP 101.9 and other media present spoke with MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller following the meeting to try and get some context on how or why the money was being spent, and why a special meeting was necessary instead of addressing the item at the next meeting on Aug. 17 (council does not have a regular meeting in July).

Toller wouldn’t say if the training was for one or multiple individuals.

“I can’t because it wouldn’t be fair,” she said. “I just don’t think it’s a wise idea to say where the training is going at this point.”

She did say that the training would be conducted by parties outside the MRC, and that the $19,525 figure was just an estimate that had been allocated based on an hourly rate.

When asked if the training had anything to do with the three currently vacant positions at the MRC office, for Economic Development Director (the posting for which recently had to be put out a second time), the assessment department and for an economic development commissioner for tourism, Toller responded that it did not.

“It has nothing to do with new positions, it has more to do with existing human resources in the MRC, to try to improve,” she said.

Toller said that the special meeting was called because there aren’t many meetings in the month of July, which made it ideal for conducting training. She said that she may be able to disclose more information at a future date, but said that this point in time, it would be “inappropriate.”

The full media scrum with Toller is available below: