A Memorandum

I have one from Town Solicitor dated June 15th 2010. I have not seen the information in the news. I assume it has not been referred to publicly.

If I tell, will it be mean I am merely creating "trouble for the Mayor" ?

Or were you wondering what happened to the fifth legal process undertaken to attempt to obtain a Consolidated Board Hearing in the matter of the Westhill Development Application ?

It's the latter,I hope. I really don't appreciate my work being dismissed as nothing more than an effort on my part to " cause trouble for the Mayor"

I had hoped factual information might be welcome. But that's the peculiarity of politics.People say they want politicians to be honest and straightforward. Apparently not all of them do.

The noted memorandum is dated June 15th.2010. On June 10th, Court of Appeal for Ontario denied the Town's request for Leave to Appeal the Divisional Court's decision to dismiss the appeal.
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The Court also ordered costs of $1000. inclusive to be paid to the respondent.

The Town has to pay Westhill a thousand dollars for costs. That's on top of what it cost us to file and argue the appeal. It's all costs on top of costs.

The vote in Council to undertake the fifth legal process was six to three.

Mayor Morris didn't make the decision by herself. She had help.. The same five who regularly support the Mayor were right there on this one as well.

The memorandum informs us the Ontario Municipal Board will likely be "sympathetic" to an early date for a hearing. Early in August perhaps.

The sympathy is ironic. Early in 2008 ,the development application was considered by the Town and denied; five legal processes have been undertaken since. All have failed at who knows what cost.

Now we start on the real and inevitable process, the OMB hearing . It will undoubtedly cost the Town additional hundreds of thousands of dollars .

If six weeks requested are granted and it takes that long, September will be time for the decision.

If forwarded in a timely manner, the matter should become an election issue

If the application is denied , it will mean there never was a reason for the delay and expense of trying to obtain a will o' the wisp consolidated board hearing.

If the Board approves the application, it will mean there never was a reason for the delay and expense of trying to obtain a will o' the wisp consolidated board hearing.

The entire extravagance of attempting to obtain a consolidated board hearing was senseless and a complete waste of taxpayer resources.

Item 2 of the Agenda of last week's Council Meeting is a statement of the year end budget results as of December 31st 2009.

On page 2-7 under the Chief Administrative officer's budget, the last line is Legal Services.

The budget for 2009 was $596,051. Actually spent was $763,198. The budget therefore was overspent by $167,147.

What part went to Thompson and Rogers I do not know. If I ask the Treasurer or the Solicitor, I will be refused the information.

I did ask the Clerk on April 14th. He asked the Solicitor . As of yet, it has not been forthcoming.

D'you think somebody doesn't want us to know? Might it be because it might cause " trouble" for the Mormac regime.