South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) tosses reporter from closed meeting

SWSDA tosses reporter from meeting...
Shelburne County Today
18feb2009


Despite the recent ruling by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court that the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) was a public agency according to the laws of the Province and despite protests by several member politicians, CEO Frank Anderson had the Shelburne RCMP escort SCT editor and publisher Timothy Gillespie from the Shelburne meeting of the agency in Shelburne early Wednesday morning.

Anderson told Gillespie that, despite the court ruling, he considered the meeting a "private" one and not open to the public or the media. In a November, 2008 decision, Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Hood determined that, because its membership is comprised almost exclusively of elected officials and the agency's funding is almost exclusively from public funds, SWSDA is a "municipal body" and should not be exempt from legislation controlling their actions.

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One SWSDA member reported that the board of directors decided at the meeting that the agency was obliged to conform to Freedom of Information requests as "municipal agency", but determined that they were not subject to public meeting legislation. "In light of the court's recent ruling," said an authority on the governing legislation," that is a patently absurd and dangerous conclusion. All of the municipalities which comprise SWSDA are now subject to almost certain legal action in the courts and to all of the costs and bad publicity that will entail."

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FULL ARTICLE

South West Shore Development Authority's Expense release slammed

Expense release slammed

Resident: Too much information edited out

By JEFFREY SIMPSON Staff Reporter

Tue. Jan 6 - 7:05 AM

The South West Shore Development Authority's top executive spent almost $26,000 on travel, mostly within Nova Scotia, during 2005-06, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

After losing a lengthy legal battle over public disclosure the Yarmouth-based government agency provided the travel expenses of chief executive Frank Anderson to Shelburne resident Adelard Cayer last week.

Mr. Cayer, who served as a member of the authority's board in 1998-99, said Monday he felt too much specific information had been edited out of the expense reports. The documents don't include individual receipts for the claims filed and in most cases omit the reasons why Mr. Anderson was visiting places, such as Halifax, Kentville and, in one instance, Ottawa.

"I am disappointed," Mr. Cayer said in an interview.

"You can't tell much from what he's provided."

Mr. Cayer said he and other taxpayers funded Mr. Anderson's trips but are left without a clear idea about whether the expenses were warranted and how much value for money there was in the hotel rooms, mileage and restaurant meals.

"You can't form a judgment about whether the expenditure was legitimate or not," Mr. Cayer said.

"It's relatively meaningless."

Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Hood, in a November decision, ordered the development authority to release the information that Mr. Cayer had requested under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The authority had argued it was outside the jurisdiction of the law. But the province established the authority in the 1990s and its members are appointed by the municipal governments in the Shelburne and Yarmouth area. Federal, provincial and municipal governments contribute to its funding.

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FULL ARTICLE <http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1099282.html>