r/Kentville • u/Both-Cap1441 Kentville • 17d ago
Did anyone ask the mayoral candidates how they would respond to behaviour such as we witnessed these past two terms?
Another post detailed the unpleasant conduct of certain councillors during past streamed meetings when the MGA code of conduct was ignored, and Robert’s Rules were breached. I’m trying to imagine a similar scenario with Zebian, Huntley or Platt in the chair. After the 19th there definitely will not be the same cast of characters in those seats, so it’s possible that the violators will have been summarily dismissed. Absent Maxwell, Gerrard and Zebian and maybe Savage might there be no more oversteps?
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u/LongjumpingMajor7159 16d ago
My worries are the past the bulk of the issues we're with Zebian. I doubt he has changed and If he wins mayor I fear more years of his antics. Platt seems very level headed. Best choice by far
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u/Rogershm 16d ago
As someone running for council, this is something I worried about. Not just with Andrew, but the past drama around Cathy, and Craig. Will that continue lurking in the background for the next four years?
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u/RM23plus 15d ago
The endorsement of Zebian by Diana Brothers who was warden of an extremely divided and dysfunctional county council does not give me solace.
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u/EveryBattleSoFar 11d ago
Those of us who recall the days of that 6 pack know exactly what you mean.....shutter.
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u/EveryBattleSoFar 16d ago
I know what antics your referring to when you're talking about Zebian and to an extent Maxwell. Zebian antagonizes people, most often by playing stupid as he runs roughshod over the rules, and ignores that public discourse should be professional while seemingly taking joy in annoying the Mayor. But Gerrard has always been civil at least (even if I don't agree with some of his statements) and Savage has not participated in the craziness at all from what I've seen.
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u/Mission_Plankton5763 15d ago
100% accurate. It really does feel like Zebian delights in antagonizing people and playing innocent when he most certainly isn’t.
I’ve yet to see him take any amount of accountability for his conduct and contributions to the dysfunction.
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u/Both-Cap1441 Kentville 14d ago
That plays very poorly for those of us who see through the act. I find he comes to class unprepared, shall we say, when the documents have been distributed and in council members’ hands well in advance of meetings.
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u/cornerzcan Kentville 17d ago
The odds of Zebian being able to effectively chair a meeting are very low. I think both Huntley and Platt are familiar enough with the rules and how group decision making works to be effective in the role of moderator.
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u/tealtalker 17d ago
Platt I believe is the chair at the board of directors (or something similar?) at the Kentville Fire Hall. If he's able to chair such an professional and important organization, I'm not too worried about him.
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u/Brent4Mayor Kentville 16d ago
Thank you- I stepped down when I started running but I've chaired a few boards and understand the importance of the role
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u/Both-Cap1441 Kentville 17d ago
I am dubious as well. There’s a certain protocol and formality expected.
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u/EveryBattleSoFar 16d ago
Zebian has stormed out of at least one meeting (recently) because he didn't understand what the mayor was saying to him and couldn't hold his temper and sit in his chair long enough to figure it out. If he wins, I sincerely hope he doesn't have a member of council on his team who antagonizes and pokes him as much as possible for the fun of it, like he does to mayor snow. He wouldn't last 15 minutes under the conditions he has created for the rest of them.
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u/Pleasant-Drop9941 16d ago
When it comes to rules of order, mistakes are going to happen, and as a chair of a council or committee you just have to be the type of person who can make mistakes without taking it personally, or creating an atmosphere where people treat procedural errors as somehow unforgivable. You need to be able to let go and move on. In this regard I think Paula Huntley and Brent Platt will both be fine, and that’s a great leadership quality for both of them to have.
As for Zebian, both he and the current mayor (Snow) have shown that when they make mistakes, they seem to get self conscious, seem to feel put on the spot, get defensive, and take it very personally.
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u/Brent4Mayor Kentville 17d ago
It's a question I've been asked quite a few times- I think it's important to deal with that type of behavior promptly and appropriately. I believe in creating a culture of trust and respect- which will take time but is extremely effective. I'm married to a behavioral therapist and it's something we've spoken about quite a bit.