SEL seeks legal opinion on police board changes
by Simon Conolly
Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield council will seek legal advice from an expert on the Ontario Police Services Act before considering a City of Peterborough request that the township give up its one seat on the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Services board.
Council Tuesday evening unanimously approved a recommendation to that effect from CAO Janice Lavalley.
City council is locked in an ongoing dispute with Police Chief Murray Rodd over his department’s proposed 2012 budget.
The idea that SEL give up its board seat arose out of that dispute.
In Ms. Lavalley’s opinion, as expressed in her report, “The request of the City to eliminate representation from the Township on the Police Services Board represents a fundamental change to the amalgamation agreement. It not only changes the function of the agreement with respect to Board representation, but also impacts the spirit of the agreement which amalgamated the police services. As noted above, the agreement was prepared to ensure compliance with a number of legislative requirements in the Police Services Act.”
She said the amalgamation of the Peterborough and Lakefield police services was, “...reached subsequent to a lengthy public consultation process,” and was ... “negotiated based upon the principles established through this consultation process.”
The legal opinion is expected at a March council meeting.
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