The Leave Taking Continues

It wasn't long before the acting-director of public works followed the director. He was in charge during the Knowles Crescent Caper.

After almost fifty years of ditches and culverts and a ribbon of asphalt running down the middle of the right-of-way, it was Knowles Crescent's turn to have a street constructed of urban design. The contract was let for $992 Ks.

When the road bed was in place and curbs installed, some residents became convinced the incline at the end of their driveways was too steep. The panic was on. They refused to accept the engineer's assurance the slope was less than it needed to be .

Councillor MacEachern attended in a home for a meeting with those concerned.

Consequently a delegation appeared at Council with a request for, among other things, a "go-to person" not the Acting Public Works Director, preferably Councillor MacEachern.

Reference was made to litigation against the municipality.

In true pandering form, a consultant was retained at a cost of $20ks to do the director's job and satisfy the demands for a "go-to person".

The contractor stopped work. The equipment was pulled off the job. The project was barely completed before the snow fell.

Five cheques were distributed . One for $10ks .Just in time for Christmas.

Knowles Crescent is a small by-way of fifty-four homes. It's as serene a pocket neighbourhood as any to be found in an Aurora subdivision. The new road with curbs and gutters and wide sweeping lots made it picture perfect.

It's hard to imagine how anyone could seriously suggest the municipality could be sued for spending more than a million dollars for such outstanding improvement.

There was a time it could not have been contemplated without imposing a local improvement tax.

Property values on Knowles Crescent certainly improved by more than the value of the town's investment.

But they did threaten suit. The Mormac twins echoed the possibility. Council was appropriately spooked by the prospect.

It wasn't long after the assistant public works director accepted the post of public works director in a municipality not too far distant.