At the 19Jan2016 North Huron council meeting Town staff were granted “Nazi like powers” to enter a taxpayer’s property via the Hometown Security Act (10-2016). The only Town Staff member that showed any integrity was the Fire Chief, as they apparently tried to get him to push this through council, he declined and the building department was used for the puppet show to ram the law through with zero Public notice, Public input, consultation, debate, Public or Press scrutiny.
A councillor asked for a legal review of this law, and complained he hadn’t received any information yet.
So, now you are probably thinking this by-law is dead in the water, as a requested legal opinion was not provided. Well, this is Wingham. We are less than one minute into this debate/issue, and we are already on the second reading despite the absence of a requested legal opinion.
Remember, the Public was not notified about this “Hometown Security Act”, was not allowed to speak at the meeting, was not notified in any way, and absolutely no attempt was made to acquire Public comment or allow Press questioning.
This law allows town staff to enter you home if they believe your security is designed to slow or detect police getting into your home. It is ok if the system is to detect and slow down home invaders until police arrive though.
This means if in town staff’s opinion your security system/cameras, barking dog, barred windows, steel door, gated lane, closed curtains, or fenced property is to the keep them out or from them looking in, they can enter your property to see what you are hiding. That’s right, somehow town staff can tell by looking at your barred windows and/or security system and tell if your intent was to keep them out or home invaders. If they like you that day, they may decide you are keeping out home-invading-meth-head-rapists. If you have pissed them off, asked too many questions, they may just decide you are keeping out the police and therefore need “inspecting”.
This law was forced through to go after some of town staff’s targets which the laws currently don’t allow. That’s right, some people have pissed them off so much they tailor a law to go after them. Now you might be saying that’s all conspiracy theory BS. Besides, they wouldn’t dream of doing a third reading and passing this the same night without legal opinion, public or press scrutiny…would they?
Below are quotes from current town staffer tim lewis regarding reasons to implement the Hometown Security Act.
“ok, and you know uhm, sometimes it takes a little bit of time ok, we have a few things going on here in this municipality right now where, you know! It’s taking us time, right! Based on following procedure, following the law.”
“ok, they bar them up for a reason. Right?! They don’t want you to see they’ve punched holes in walls, you know they are stealing hydro and they are doing this and that. Right?”
“So. Now I can go in and inspect” it as I have right of entry ok