Despite Christmas obligations, the public gallery at yesterday’s Full Council meeting was packed with people from Exmouth, Axminster , Ottery St Mary, and Sidmouth.
Of the six speakers at Public Question Time, four were from Exmouth, where the first speaker, born and bred there, told the Council, “You have succeeded where no other council has done, in motivating the people. I have never seen such public anger.” As she began her speech, appalled by the rows of councillors seated with their backs to her, and the rest of the public, she exclaimed, “Well, this is a first for me!”
One simple improvement for public relations at EDDC, would be to re-arrange the seating.
Another would be to (literally) face up to concerns expressed by the speakers. Instead, Chief Executive, Mark Williams, in his habitual fashion, simply rolled together the 4 separate speeches from Exmouth residents, along with the fifth one, from Richard Thurlow of Sid Vale Association, saying he thought they contained no questions for him to answer.
Which raises some questions….
More on last night’s meeting to follow.
Save Our Sidmouth 
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December 22, 2016 at 10:57 pm
I was not at the meeting but, if this report of the CEO’s response is accurate – and Owl is seldom anything else – that is arrogant and unacceptable behaviour from an officer who is paid by the people he ignored. Does he only deign to answer when there is a question mark at the end of a speech? He was challenged to defend a council’s activities and this he singularly failed to do. He should have been made to respond by the Chairman – except that we have come not to expect such proper behaviour from this lot.
December 31, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Thank you for your comment, Peter, which would be widely agreed with. Public questions,from across the East Devon District, are habitually dealt with in the same way at District Council meetings.
Fortunately Owl, whom you mention,keeps a watchful eye on such things,and although not a contributor to the SOS blog,is a wise source of information at eastdevonwatch.org.
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