If Things Go As They Should

Residents who watched the  June Council meeting  and again in July, will  no doubt tune in again  in August to see how the undulating  monkey bar issue was  was played out  by council.

I was personally shocked  a motion was proposed  for instantaneous action to remove the equipment without hearing from anyone but two complainants.One of them choking so hard on tears it was truly difficult to decipher words.

At least staff are now being provided an opportunity to respond to the severe criticism of their judgment in using town resources to install a piece of playground equipment , already determined by some councillors,  to be  hazardous to  life and limb of children at play. as established by opinion of two residents taking responsibility for all town children as well as their own.

Council's  decision in August will help  form the basis of community judgment of how this  council handles the obligation to decide based on  best judgment of the interest of  community--at-large or whatever.

It's another one of those risks life presents. Council is the crucible. Also known as the fish bowl.Could be seen by some as a playground for the effete and the elite.

I think it's better television than  soap opera. I don't watch it. It's enough  to be part of it

Early months of  a  new term are  critical. Other council decisions will be made and gradually a new bed of public opinion, like coral, will be formed.... on top of what was before.

An interesting exchange happened on Tuesday. Councillor Gaertner  tried again to bring the O.M.B. decision on Westhill back to the Council table. She requested staff  summarise  requirements of the O.M.B.decision  because "people" can't understand the text of the decision as posted on the O.M.B. web site or the town's.

The Mayor  squelched the issue. The Councillor's microphone was turned off . No motion was accepted.

The rest took place off stage. Councillor Gaertner left the chamber and made her way to the women's washroom. To be followed later by two other parties from the council chamber for presumably legitimate reasons. It is said, an extract of a phone conversation was overheard as follows;

Councillor Gaertner ......."Now what will we do? Maybe we should  listen to the tape together  and make a decision from there"

It's  commonly  understood  Councillor Gaertner comes to  every council meeting loaded for bear; Specific  targets being the Mayor, myself and the O.M.B. decision on the Westhill development plan, in that order.

Every dodge known to man has been employed to get  Westhill back on the table for discussion. The last was a motion processed without notice, at ten past eleven, during a second extension of the hour of adjournment  sought for the express purpose of completing the business items on the agenda .

I left  when Councillor Gaertner started to rattle on about rights of staff to be protected from a fate worse than death by a councillor seeking to do due diligence on behalf of the taxpayers.

Councillor Thompson was absent the meeting.

The no-notice motion was to direct the Mayor to write  a letter to the Honorable John Wilkinson, Minister of Environment , requesting that he  deny a permit to Westhill to take water.

The vote was four to three. Councillors Ballard, Gaertner,Gallo and Humphryes in favour; The Mayor, Councillors Abel and Pirrie against.

Subsequently,  a letter on the Mayor's stationery, signed by the Mayor, setting out the vacuous wording of the resolution, was sent to the Office of the Ministry, proving to all who read it, the cult of jackass is alive and well in Aurora, despite  results of the recent election.

The only comfort is, the town does not have a monopoly on jackassism.

There' s plenty  to go around in government circles.