The Mayor proclaimed "most of Council" present. The missing one? C'etais moi. I chose not to be there. I was elected to Council. School closings are not my business. I am a Separate School Board supporter. I have no right to involve myself in public school board decisions?
I understand parents do not want change. I have been in the position of having to tell parents what they do not want to hear. It is not nice. Nobody should do that if they don't have to.
I've heard stuff about that hundred year old building ... like mould growing throughout and students eating lunch on a grungy concrete floor in the basement. I remember how the hundred year old lavatory sewers smelled in Church Street School when the town took it over.I know people whose children are middle-aged who went to that school and they tell me the school was in bad shape then.
I don't have time to ask how many children are currently being bussed to Wells Street School from other parts of town. It's not my business
I do not understand why council had representation on a review committee of parents and trustee.Even less do I understand why it was Councillor John Gallo.
The building has been designated Heritage. Councillor Bob McRoberts is on the Heritage Committee as is Councillor Collins Mrakas. Both indicated an interest in participating on the committee. But the Mayor appointed a Councillor without connection except that he owes her his place at the council table.
Be that as it may. The Committee recommends that Wells Street School be demolished and a new one built.on the site
.
Now I am compelled to comment.
It is an entirely nonsensical idea.
When Wells St school was built, Aurora had its own school board. It was O.K. to use the park for a playground and close a street . It saved the taxpayers money ...lots of it.
It blows my mind that this committee had council representation yet the difficulties of re-building on that site were not foreseen. The Mayor was there. As was "most" of council . Yet none among them foresaw the obvious obstacles .The Mayor apparently received tumultuous applause when she gave wholehearted support to parents in their battle to save the school.
So now what happens? A commitment has been made to the Board of town support to re-build the school. Without any council debate. Do we now declare the street and park surplus to the Town's needs and sell them to the REGIONAL Board of Education to create an adequate site ? Do we bypass the rights of the community at large to have a say in the surrender of a street and a historic park in order to have a completely modern school built in their place?
We have agreed without apparent discussion to demolish a recently designated Heritage Building? Is it that easy?
The demolition and re-building of a school means interruption of an elementary program in that location of at least three years.
Some students will have progressed to high school. Young ones will start their school experience elsewhere. Populations shift. Passions fade. Elections will have been held.
What kind of logic went into the recommendation ? None at all that I can see. But there. there , why should that surprise anyone?
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8 comments:
for heaven's sake evelyn
can't you tell pandering when you see it?
this is all about the co-mayors and their lackey's attempting to gain public support for their upcoming election campaigns.
wonder how the people in the north east - the area that Mr. Gallo is supposedly representing - feel about being tossed aside in favour of the folks in "olde" aurora...
that won't help his chances of finally getting elected
Here is another example of a municipal council getting involved in something that is completely out of their area of responsibility. We elect school board trustees to represent us at school boards. We also have school councils that represent the parents of students. We DO NOT elect town council members and mayors to represent us in dealing with school board issues. This is the same as the farce that was the G.W. Williams move/stay/build.
I don't hold the council members at 100% fault here though. The majority of the public fails to see how the lines of responsibility are drawn and when they see an issue (like a school closing) they run to council for a fix. It is pure ignorance that the public fails to see this demarcation of responsibility.
We need a mayor and council members that will take a phone call from the public and say "I'd love to help you but, that is not a Town of Aurora issue that I can do something about. I suggest that you call xxxxxx." And then they give me the number and that's it.
I get so upset when I hear about council getting involved in something that is out of their jurisdiction. Do what you are paid to do!
Fuimus
But it is a "community of Aurora" issue.
There are lots of issues affecting the town over which the Council does not have any juristiction. Would you expect them to not comment at all?
I don't need them leading the parade on any particular issue, but knowing where they stand on any issue affecting the town helps me decide for the next election.
"I don't need them leading the parade on any particular issue, but knowing where they stand on any issue affecting the town helps me decide for the next election."
by anonymous 3:27PM.
Now I understand how a taxfighter/crime fighter can get elected councillor in Aurora.
To anonymous @ 3:27pm,
Actually it is a "community IN Aurora issue" not an Aurora issue. As "Long Time Resident" indicated, what value is this issue to the folks in North East Aurora? It does nothing for me in the South West either. To have the entire Aurora Council, save one, involved in this is a waste of good people's time. If they were genuinly interested in the school situation, perhaps they should have run for Board Trustee instead - it's their baliwick.
Fuimus
Robert the Bruce, again with the disdain for another area of town?
God help this town if we ever get a ward system - pitting area against area. Then keep your comments to your own backyard.
And Councillor Buck, your support of either school system should be irrelevant for your duties as an elected town official, so your declaration here leads me to believe it is a consideration when executing your 'real' elected responsibilities.
Weren't you the one who went to the mat on the new Catholic H.S. and it's access to Wellington and other issues for the York Catholic School Board?
You represent all Aurorans. I don't care about your school system support, so don't cloud this issue with that.
What I don't understand is if the school is demolished to make room for a new one...will it be put on the same site? How are we ever going to get planning approval to build a bigger school on that same piece of land? Given all the hemming and hawwing by councillors that goes on at planning meetings for PRIVATE enterprises wishing to build - will it be any different for the school board. I pray there's enough space for Mrs. Gaertner's trees.
To: Anonymous - 3/25/2009 - 09:17
I have no disdain for any area of Aurora. I am sorry you read that into my comments. I am only concerned that the entire town council is getting involved in an issue that they have no control over nor influence. The issue is of real importance to those families that live in the area of the school. It does not impact me directly or indirectly. However, having MY council involved when it should not be, impacts me.
I would welcome the ward system in this town by the way. Not to pit ward against ward but to keep council members on track to deal with issues in their ward.
As far as the new Catolic HS is concerned, I think the issue of access to Wellington and how it impacts traffic flow is nothing like the closing/rebuilding/whatever of a school in the heart of town. We are talking apples and oranges here.
Fuimus
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