A Spiral Tip

When I came back on Council in 2003 I was aghast at the amount of paper I accumulated. I asked CAO Larry Allison; "What am I supposed to do with all this stuff?"

He gave me a weird look and said . "That's what the Blue Box is for".

I have an obsession about the value of things. The fabric, cut and sew of a garment gets more than a passing glance. It's not about being tight-fisted. It's about being satisfied resources are being well spent.

Staff reports mean expertise and man-hours ; an author, a stenographer, a clerk for copying. Machines, paper, ink cartridges , space for machines , maintenance of space for machines. The list is endless. The payroll concomitant.

Then there's the substance of the reports.In this council, a new factor has entered the equation. Staff recommendations are casually tossed aside and replaced by political acumen.

A couple of weeks ago, a report from the Director of Finance outlined a schedule for meetings to process the 2009 budget. No doubt the document required hours of work. Consultation with and direction to departments as to timing for various estimates would be necessary. Budgets need to be justified and vetted prior to submission to council. Until now, the Chief Administrative Officer and the Treasurer worked together on this task. The C.A.O position is currently vacant.

On receipt of the report, council spent ninety-five minutes in a discussion led by Councillor Evalina MacEachern . Three specific evening dates were part of the recommended schedule. Among other changes, they became a single Saturday. A new schedule was written at the council table without apparent regard for the actual work of preparing the budget.

Staff reports are undergoing noticeable change since our former CAO was escorted from the building. A couple of weeks ago council approved direction to departments to hold off making purchases if it looked like they might run a deficit. I have never thought of that as part of a councillor's responsibility. It's why we have a Director of Finance.

A source of funding was recommended for a rescue effort for two hundred ailing street trees.The director advised the reserve created by interest from the Hydro Reserve Fund. Council previously adopted a policy for its use. But no, the Director of Leisure Services was directed to use his operating budget instead. The possibility of creating a deficit didn't seem to matter in this instance.

A recent recommendation to purchase a pick-up truck for the Bylaw Department was set aside. A People car will be acquired instead. Bylaws must now borrow a pick- up truck from works if needed to carry a ladder and tools to remove and transport illegal signs from public property; part of a bylaw officer's function.

A new credential for a Bylaw Officer will need to be established. The appropriate girth to fit into the people car will be essential. A study will likely be needed to determine precise measurements. Legs and neck length, waist and chest circumference will be key. A person's posterior might need to be assessed..

Of course such requirements could not be included in a job description. It would contravene one law or another. Evaluation of a candidate would have to be visual ,surreptitious and whispered about behind closed doors. The Municipal Act allows that.

The exigencies simply boggle the mind.

But nothing like the annual buudget.Last year it was almost twenty-three million dollars. A substantial amount was for staff expertise and supplies Ninety-nine point nine percent of the supplies were always tossed but now a good part of the expertise contained therein goes too.