By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
When the Town of Essex announced it was selling E.L.K. Energy Inc., and its subsidy company E.L.K. Solutions, to ENWIN Utilities – whose parent Company is Windsor Canada Utilities Limited – last March, it was able to secure a seat on its Board of Directors for ten-years.
At the December 1 meeting, Council was presented the ENWIN Utilities Ltd. Board and Advisory Committee Appointment Policy, which it provisionally adopted, as some Councillors expressed some concerns. This gave time for those members to reach out to Town staff before it was presented for adoption.
Council gave third and final reading to By-Law 2496 and adopted the ENWIN Utilities Ltd. Board and Advisory Committee Appointment Policy at the December 15 meeting, and further direct the Town’s Clerk to notify Windsor Canada Utilities Ltd. in writing that Council’s ENWIN Utilities Ltd. Board Member Nominee for one year, beginning in 2026, is Mayor Sherry Bondy.
Since the meeting two-weeks ago, a few notable changes were made to the policy, Director of Legal and Legislative Services, Joe Malandruccolo, detailed to Council.
The changes reflect concerns heard at the meeting two weeks ago of a few Essex Councillors regarding the requirements and parameters around the Town of Essex nominating one appointee to the ENWIN Board of Directors.
Originally, the policy had the Mayor – followed by Deputy Mayor, Council member, then resident – as the preferred choice for the Board Nominee.
One of the changes included that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were removed as the first two members of preference in regard to the nomination, instead choosing members of Council, followed by Administration if someone from Council is not willing or qualified.
If Council is at a standstill as to whom to appoint as the nominee, an appointment committee would be formed, composed of the CAO, the Clerk, either the Mayor or Deputy Mayor, and one Ward1 and the Ward 4 Councillor to make the selection, Malandruccolo added.
In addition, another change was that the limit to sit on the ENWIN Board is seven-years for an appointee, which ENWIN asked to be added.
Council’s first appointee will be for one-year. That person cannot sit on the Board longer than three terms for a max of three-years each. If at the end of the first term, that person can continue to sit if the Town does not change the direction. He will come back to Council before the end of the one-year term to ask for the next nominee.
In answering Councillor Joe Garon and Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais’s question on if someone could serve and not be a member of Council, if the Mayor is not re-elected next term, for instance, Malandruccolo noted Council can appoint its nominee for one, two, or three-years. So, when Admin comes to Council for the next recommendation of appointment, they will make sure there is minimal overlap. This appointment is for February 2026-February 2027, which would be a small overlap after the next election.