Events Recalled.

Last year I requested copies of legal bills paid in 2007,8.9. I was assured they would be forthcoming. The Chief Administrative Officer was consulted. I repeated my request and received further re-assurance.

Then after a resolution proposing a method of accounting ,by Councillor MacEachern. seconded by Councillor Wilson, acquiesced by Treasurer Elliott and supported by a council majority, I was subsequently informed , I would not after all be receiving the information previously requested. Council's motion was cited as the reason.

The information about legal costs forms part of the public record. Mr. Cooper's initial assurance indicates awareness of that fact. .

I told you all that before.

In a closed door discussion with solicitor Roger Beaman, after a third failure to win a Joint Board Hearing on the Westhill application. I inquired about legal costs up to that point.

The town solicitor intervened ; the information was solicitor/client privilege he said.

Costs to the public treasury are not intended to be secret. Mr. Beaman stated his fees were $130,000. Later, he indicated the fourth action would bring the total to $200.000.

I thought I heard at that time, costs to neighbours opposing the application were $600,000. Later that figure was scaled down to "more than $200,000".

The neighbours' business is not ours. They decided to spend no more. It was intimated one person had carried most of the burden. That too was not town business.

Later, with no record of a request , a report was presented to Council of various options of how the town could reimburse the residents for costs of their action. A grant was one of the options.

I pointed out protocol for grant applications is not confidential. A wave of the hand dismissed the matter.

I told you all that.

Council subsequently directed Mr. Beaman to file a Request for Leave to Appeal the last Divisional Court denial of a Joint Board Hearing.

Councillors McRoberts,Collins Mrakas and myself voted in opposition.

Advice received in closed session failed to persuade me the public expenditure was justified. Neither for that nor any of the previous failures.

We still face the expense of an Ontario Municipal Board Hearing. Forecast legal costs for two weeks of hearing ,$250ks. A joint board estimated at seven weeks would conservatively triple the cost.

In committee last week, I opposed closed session consideration of an agenda item I believe should be publicly debated.

Friends fear if I disclose the particulars, I will play into the hands of those who wish me ill.

If they do what I believe is intended, they will be obliged to disclose it themselves.

The chronology of events clearly indicates which pockets are about to be picked again.