Skullduggery and Intrigue, Council Style.

Once again, the facts are in. The story can be told.

It's not clever. It's not subtle. It's not even exciting. Just par for the course.

On Tuesday evening, neighbours to the baseball diamond under construction, who do not like to look at poles, delegated to council.

Their complaint was about a newly installed pole in line of vision from their dining room window. Leisure Services Director had recommended re-locating the pole at a cost of $7,100. over and above the $100,000 cost to install the lights

The recommendation was not well received. It appeared Council would unanimously vote to deny.

Then the Mayor gave in-depth analysis of the situation. The subsequent resolution was to defer to the Chief Administrative Officer.

The Director informed the residents.. They knew he had followed through on his commitment to re-locate the pole. They knew the decision had been deferred to the CAO. They were told the matter would not be discussed at Council that evening.

But they came loaded for bear with complaints about how a baseball diamond could be so far advanced in construction on land abutting their own,while they had no knowledge it was even contemplated.

The public debate about whether or not there should be a baseball diamond had passed beneath their line of vision.

The litany was against the Director about how such a thing could happen without their being formally notified..

Since the decision to re-locate the offending pole had not been rejected, it had been "referred", I wondered why the residents had come to council at that moment in time with a written presentation . So I asked.

I had to state the facts twice. Why, when the director had agreed to recommend re-locating the pole, had informed them he would do so, had followed through on his commitment and afterwards told them the issue had been referred to the Chief Administrative Officer and would not be discussed that evening; why were they there?

I did not ask why the Director, who had been so accommodating to their wishes was being berated for perceived failures. The scheme was familiar and easily recognizable.

I wanted to establish, who had intervened between a non- decision of council and what precipitated an angry and accusatory presentation about a staff member who had been so obliging, to his own disadvantage I might add.

My meaning was finally taken. The delegate threw her arm towards the chair and said "Phyllis called"

It is established, the resident and the Mayor are close friends.

Despite weeks of community outrage, outcry and controversy about the need and cost of a baseball diamond.

Despite eight months of earth moving ; cutting down hills and filling in valleys, to the tune of $400.000

Despite the location was not staff choice{ It was Evalina's) and there was no other possible configuration for the lights.

Despite all of that plus the fact, unlike land use and zoning changes, there is no requirement to formally notify residents of park development.

And despite a close friendship with the Mayor. and apparently, Councillor MacEachern, they still had no idea what was afoot, until they looked out of their dining room window one day and saw a pole.

But never mind. Friend, Mentor and Mayor Phyllis, rides to the rescue once again.

The (Woodsman)Chief Administrator will have received his instructions. The Leisure Services Director will be once again discredited and that will be the reason to spend yet another $7,100.
to re-locate the pole on top of $100.000 spent already for baseball lighting .

Council will once again meekly acquiesce.

Villains, real and perceived, will be vanquished .

Everyone will live happily ever after.

Lilliput style.