It’s official — Andrew Niven has now been made a part of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s municipal council.
New Coun. Niven, filling a council seat left vacant in September, was formally introduced to the other councillors during Tuesday night’s committee of the whole meeting, after already being sworn in earlier this week.
After a few introductory words from Niven, Coun. Gary Burroughs asked if he and other councillors would be able to attend a swearing-in document signing.
The signing, however, was done before the Tuesday meeting, Niven told The Lake Report in an email.
“I had the privilege of being sworn in at the town hall … in the council chambers on Monday morning,” he said. He signed the documents with Grant Bivol, the town clerk, and Shannon Mista, the town’s legislative and committees co-ordinator.
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa was not present for the actual signing, but was there for a photo op, he said during an interview, along with Bivol and interim CAO Bruce Zvagnia.
“The clerk did the oath of office and we got a signature and got a photograph taken,” Zalepa said.
“It’s not a meeting per se, it’s really just a function of the clerk’s office for the individual to go in and sign the document— there’s no public meeting required for that.”
Probably, the timing just lined up for Niven to be able to sign the documents on Monday, Zalepa said.
Coun. Sandra O’Connor said none of the councillors were notified of the swearing-in.
“The last swearing-in that was not part of a regular election was mine and it was done at a council meeting,” she told The Lake Report.
O’Connor was happy with how it was done for her and assumes Niven is happy with how it was done for him, she said.
Coun. Erwin Wiens did not know about the ceremony either, but he heard it was on Monday, he said.
“I was glad it happened so that he was able to partake yesterday,” Wiens said on Wednesday.
“That got him on the ground running.”
