After a drama-filled campaign, the theme during Wollaston Township’s inauguration was communication.
“It is humbling taking this seat knowing more people voted against me than for me,” New Reeve of Wollaston Township Barb Shaw said during her opening statement. She went on to say that she hopes to see residents help council to move forward and not act as “roadblocks.”
“Help, please don’t hinder,” Shaw said as she continued to echo the idea of communication and community involvement. “We are making changes going forward and everyone will be involved,” Shaw continued. With that in mind, she announced that council will be opening up to allow residents to sit on certain committees. As of now, those committees are:
- Public works committee
- Environmental committee of council
- Recreation committee
- Communications committee
- Tourism, economic development and planning
Shaw says that each member of council will take the lead on a specific committee. She adds that they will open up the councils to allow for more residents to join if needed. As for who can sign-up, Shaw says council wants to keep the application process as open as possible. We’ll be looking for relevant experience,” she says. “The more people who can be involved earlier on we believe, as a council, the more likely we are to have success,” she says.
Former Bancroft CAO/Clerk Barry Wannamaker will serve as the transition lead for council. Shaw mentioned that council has only gotten three hours of training prior to being sworn-in today. Shaw said it’s a huge advantage having him on board from the start. “I’m really, really excited and I’m thankful for the Clerk (Verna Brundage) guiding me through the first meeting,” Shaw said when speaking with My Bancroft Now after the council meeting.
“This is no longer just about five people at a table,” Shaw said at the end of her opening remarks. “This is about our entire community working together bring part of the same team and just really embracing what we can achieve and believing in the possibilities,” she concluded.