Two Questions

Asked from the last two posts: first was whether David Atkins was the problem on Knowles Crescent.

David was not the first victim of the current administration. Wayne Jackson was the Director of Public Works before him. The road construction program was David's job before he became Acting Director.Estimates are prepared for budget purposes. Designs are assigned to a consultant. Knowles Crescent designs were checked. A flaw identified by town staff and corrected.

The original road had ditches and culverts for drainage and gravel shoulders. The new design was for storm sewers to be installed. Sidewalk was offered and refused which meant front lawns were extended and the road bed lowered to accommodate the storm sewers. The road curves in a crescent and slopes towards Seaton Drive.Here and there, driveway grades increased .

At no time were the increases beyond an acceptable grade. But some residents became concerned and their neighbours lent support.

Councillor MacEachern became involved and soon town staff were pushed aside and consultants were hired to consult and satisfy the demands of four or five home owners.The contractor's schedule was interrupted , equipment was taken off the site and at one point it looked as if the job wouldn't be done before the snow .

I live behind Knowles Crescent.I puttered down there on my scooter last week. It is a picture perfect quiet street of fifty-nine well maintained homes fronted by wide sweeping lawns And So it should be with a million dollars of public investment.The residents must be pleased. Four or five of them a few thousand and one ten thousand dollars more than the rest.At the expense of their neighbours of course.

No doubt the councillor will receive her reward in the next election

David Atkins didn't hang around long after that.

A similar drama occurred in the last month of the term ending in 2003. Concrete curbs had been installed in the north-east quadrant at the corner of Maple and Yonge., the heritage neighbourhood. ( The one that got the $211ks traffic calming plan in 2007) Residents had been given a choice of curb designs and made their selection from pictures.

Oh Calamity, when completed they appeared higher than expected. Two persnickety residents acknowledged it was their choice but now they didn't like it.

Councillor MacEachern. like Zorro, was quick to respond in their time of need. .

"How much would it cost to replace?" she asked at the last meeting before the election.

"Thirty-thousand dollars" was the Public Works Director's reply.

"Do we have the money?" the treasurer was asked.

"No " was his short response.

No matter, the order was given Break out the new concrete and replace it with what is called a roll-over curb which is exactly what it sounds like. Vehicles roll over it.

I went to look at it eight or nine months later. It was a muddy morass. I went back to take a picture but the mess had been cleaned up with a bed of interlocking paving stones.

The Code of Conduct calls for councillors to explain to citizens ,the decision and attitudes of council even if they disagree with the majority.

The only attitude I can be sure of is my own. Those kinds of political decisions are the reason I run for office. I may not be able to stop them but while I'm there there I 'll do what I must to make sure people know about them.

Which brings me to the next post. Legal expenditures to stop me from doing that.