Rocky start for monthly reports
A new initiative from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Public Relations Unit aimed at promoting transparency from the Council table has seen “report cards” summarizing activities for the past month come in from only half the chiefs – the same number as the previous month.
The reports also seem to have some inconsistencies with the reporting of meetings and days out of the office.
“It’s been getting tricky to get used to having that additional deadline, but we will eventually get it regularly in our schedule, and you should be seeing 12 reports moving forward. It is meant for all of us,” said MCK chief Tonya Perron, who submitted reports for both editions of the initiative so far, in September and in October.
The initiative includes details about what meetings each MCK chief attended, how many vacation and wellness days they used, and portfolio updates. Reports are released on the last day of each month, and in September, MCK grand chief Cody Diabo as well as MCK chiefs Iohahí:io Delisle, Melanie Morrison, Paul Rice, Ross Montour, submitted along with Perron.
On November 29, reports were released for the month of October. The MCK chiefs who participated in this edition were David A Diabo, Jeffrey Diabo, Melanie Morrison, Ross Montour, Ryan Montour, and Perron.
“(Public relations) are following a schedule, and they’re very strict on the deadline, so when they tell us it’s due on a day, if we don’t get it in on that day, it’s not going to be published,” Perron said. “There’s that responsibility on the chiefs to make sure we meet the deadline.”
Each MCK chief receives a report card filled in with the meetings they were set to attend, and each person checks off which of those meetings they attended that month, as well as other updates. Perron received her report to fill out for last month on November 29, and was given a two-week deadline to submit her report.
Perron said the previous month had a slightly shorter deadline.
The most recently released reports for October have key information about MCK chiefs’ activities.
MCK chiefs David and Jeffrey Diabo both used zero wellness and vacation days, with David attending all but three of his scheduled meetings, and Jeffrey attending all but two, per their report cards.
MCK chief Morrison used five vacation days and one wellness day and noted in her portfolio updates section that her two absences from scheduled meetings were due to vacation and sickness.
Per the report card, MCK chief Ross Montour attended all but one meeting and took zero wellness and vacation days, though his written portfolio updates mention that he took personal days on October 15 and 16, and vacation from October 17-28.
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The October report card also states that MCK chief Ryan Montour attended all scheduled meetings for the month except for the press scrum with local media – however, Ryan Montour was at the press scrum that month, which The Eastern Door attended.
Perron used two vacation days and a half-day wellness day and attended all meetings in October.
Report cards for the month of November should be released at the end of December.
