An issue seems to arise once again with the City Council meeting procedure. Board President Emmanuel P. Stathis had called an emergency meeting for Tuesday, July 27, 2021, using the by-election procedure using email. A procedure that has been consistently rejected by the entire opposition and that a few months ago had denounced as irregular and out of order provided for by the Ministry of the Interior. The only topic of discussion was the emergency traffic regulations summer 2021 due to COVID-19 with the Technical Service as rapporteur. Today the decision was published on the City's website causing surprise to the opposition.
D. Kontoleon: «We were absent. They count the absent for the present.»
In today's communication we had with the head of the faction «We live here» Dimitris Kontoleon complained that it is impossible to make a decision on the issue as the meeting was not quorate since the opposition was absent. For the meeting to be valid, according to the Municipal Code, more than two thirds (2/3) of the members of the Council should be present. It should be noted that the meeting was not attended by any member of Mr Panagopoulos« »First the Man' faction. Mr Kontoleon reported that he sent an email to the President informing him of his party's abstention from the meeting, except for Councillor Manos Trifylli who attended and voted present. Below is a copy of the email he sent to the chairman indicating the two members' abstention from the meeting.
Contact the President
To confirm the facts of the composition of the board in this meeting we contacted the chairman of the Board Mr.Stathis who when we conveyed the information we had from Mr.Kontoleon, replied that the sending of this email was considered, both by him and the municipal authority, as participation in the process, and the abstention of Kontoleon - Didimiotis as abstention from voting.
«Zoom meetings»
As the chairman told us, this meeting, for one item only, was held by rotation for the convenience of all Board members.He also told us that all future meetings will be held by teleconference as before.
Request for live webcast of the Councils
In our communication with the Chairman of the Board, we referred to the issue of broadcasting the meetings of the Board via the internet and asked for the relevant link to be provided so that Kytherians can watch them. Kythera.News will also make a formal request in the hope that the chairman will respond to not only a political but also a moral obligation of the whole council to the citizens to know what is discussed and decided at the meetings.
