The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Council has stepped in
to try to straighten out a governance mess at the Ontario Sheep Marketing
Agency.
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| Elmer Buchanan |
The new board chairman, Dennis Fischer, when he was asked today what’s going on, said “there’s really nothing going on” and said Buchanan "is there as a resource person.“
He said he is enjoying his role as chairman and said "I want to put as positive a spin as possible on this."
He said there is no basis for comments that the board has turned away from commercial-scale flocks marketing to meat-packing companies and is serving small-flock owners who market direct to consumers as freezer trade.
He said he is enjoying his role as chairman and said "I want to put as positive a spin as possible on this."
He said there is no basis for comments that the board has turned away from commercial-scale flocks marketing to meat-packing companies and is serving small-flock owners who market direct to consumers as freezer trade.
Issues arose before the annual general meeting in late
October, but were kept secret despite a board-approved motion that they be
revealed during that meeting.
At that time, the main issue was the board’s three-month
suspension of director Andrew Gordanier. He was disciplined for revealing board
confidences during the annual general meeting of district five, which he
represented.
The motion passed by the board on Oct. 27 is:
“Given the actions that occurred at the District 5 AGM,
August 31, 2011 which involve breach of Board confidentiality, breach of board
loyalty and breach of respect for staff, Andrew Gordanier is suspended from the
OSMA Board and released of all his responsibilities as a Board member of OSMA
for a period of 3 months from 10am of the 12th of October, 2011.”
The board subsequently apologized to Gordanier and in
January the board rescinded that motion.
One of the outcomes of the conflict is a new board policy to
post minutes of board meetings on the agency’s website.
Among issues making the rounds on the gravel roads is one about $28,000 the
board spent on improvements to the building it rents from the Ontario
Cattlemen’s Association in Guelph and another about $12,745 spent on governance consulting
and legal fees.
During the dust-up, board chairman Christopher Kyle
resigned. He has been replaced by Fischer who was vice-chairman.
Fraser Hodgson defeated Gordanier in an election for vice-chairman.
The board has also held exit interviews with directors Neil
Mesman, Markus Wand, Chris Kennedy and Mark Lenover.
Kennedy resigned since the annual meeting; the others left before the annual meeting.
Kennedy resigned since the annual meeting; the others left before the annual meeting.
