A pair of city councillors are being accused of skipping out of Tuesday night’s council meeting and going to a nearby pub.

In an email to Mayor Bryan Paterson and city clerk John Bologne — and copied to members of council and forwarded to the Whig-Standard — Catherine Phillipson wrote that Kingscourt-Rideau District Coun. Mary Rita Holland and Sydenham District Coun. Peter Stroud were seen leaving the meeting during staff briefings on the third crossing and going to the nearby Tir Nan Og pub.

“How does that show respect for other members of council?” Phillipson wrote. “If they will not listen to the facts of the important issue that is under debate, they should be made to abstain from the vote.

“I have no objection to councillors eating during long meetings or taking restroom breaks, but going to a pub is ridiculous,” she wrote.

Phillipson questioned how the two councillors could properly represent their constituents.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, Stroud admitted it wasn’t the best idea to step out during the meeting.

“I agree that the optics look bad, going to a pub during a council meeting,” he said.

Stroud said he apologized to the complainant and said he plans to apologize to city staff.

In his defence, he said he had a two-hour meeting with city planner Mark Van Buren and went over the project in detail.

Stroud said he believed the delegations and public input and the council debate were what was important.

Holland declined to comment about the complaint.

At the start of the meeting, Stroud had tried to get the staff briefings removed from the agenda. He said the time would be better spent on staff responding to questions from councillors. That motion was defeated in a vote by council.

elferguson@postmedia.com