COMMON SENSE AND INTEGRITY ARE NOT A FAD .

The last Blog reminded me of October 22nd, 2003. I was a spectator at council. One among many. Not unusual for a meeting held during an election . Wiseacres always come out to wring promises from incumbent candidates. That's why meetings are not normally held during a campaign.

A number of issues were exploited that night .Additional swim lanes in the proposed new recreation complex were promised and ultimately delivered.

The deadline for the town's submission to the Province on the Oak Ridges Moraine Act was Oct 23rd .2003 That was the reason for the meeting.

There had been a buzz all day. On the Agenda, a report from the Planning Director referred to a letter from the legal firm retained to advise on the town's submission. . Some properties in the Moraine had already received Official Plan Designations or had had hearings with the Ontario Municipal Board. . They had to be identified as settlement areas and specifically included in the Act as such.The letter was not attached. Staff advised, because of the potential for litigation, the matter needed to be be dealt with in-camera.

Sue Seibert, the Director of Planning repeatedly advised the issue was complicated. The Mayor and Councillor West warned of the need to be carefull..

Councillor MacEachern disagreed. There was more than a hint staff were not being straighforward andMayor Jones and Councillor West were friends of developers.

Councillor Damir Vrancic declared in ringing tones. “We must save the Moraine. We should not fear legal action. We should show the way.for other municipalities to follow.” He seconded Councillor MacEachern's motion that the matter be discussed in public.There was applause from the crowd who had rallied to the cause, Candidate Morris and supporters were in the crowd. as well as the challenger for the Mayor's chair and his teen-age son.

Off the top of his head, as he was wont to do, Councillor Vrancic dictated a lengthy motion in opposition to advice from staf It passed. with the Mayor and Councillor West in opposirion.

At the next meeting, the resolution had to be modified. Councillor MacEachern stated she never intended harm to property owners. But the change was not enough to save the town harmless.

There were consequences.Jones and West were elected with reduced majorities . George Timpson was featured as a flip-flop artist and lost his bid . Morris, Kean and Vrancic came in at the top of the heap. MacEachern had withdrawn her nomination after she saw who were the other candidates . I crept in at the bottom. after a re-count held on a motion from MacEachern and Vrancic.

A subsequent auditors report revealed legal costs of $270,000 were incurred because of the decision. on October 22nd. The funds were not budgeted which is why they received the auditor's attention..

It was not the only questionable decision made on that fateful night. Although it was the most expensive.

Sidewalks had recently been constructed at the corners of Maple and Yonge Streets. Two residents came to complain they weren't like the pictures they were shown.. They did not fit the heritage ambience of the neighborhood.

Public Works Director Wayne Jackson was asked the cost to replace them." $30,000", he said. Treasurer Allan Evelyn was asked if he could find the money. "No" he said

. No matter, Councillor MacEachern moved that the new sidewalks be broken out and replaced. And so it was done. In time for the election.
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The following January, Treasurer Allan Evelyn left The Town of Aurora..

Afterwards i checked the new roll-over curbs. .. They were aptly described. The corners were a muddy morass from the wheels that rolled over. I went with a camera , only to discover they had been tidied up with interlocking bricks. I never did discover what that cost.

Wayne Jackson did lots of things like that to smooth things for his political bosses. In May.of the first year of the current term, he found himself publicly criticised by the new Mayor for a problem which he had handled with his usual deft touch.

Within days he tendered his resignation. ,.

I am often informed my views are irrelevant. I am regularly admonished that things are different to how they were forty years ago. Like I am not the one to notice .

Different ? Yes.

Better? Absolutely not.

Common sense and integrity do not go out of style.