The Report I Touched On Yesterday

We dealt with report No. CAO11-017 last night. It 's probably on the town's web site. I say probably because I never go there.

Council received the report  and authorized the CAO to work with Culture Centre to develop key performance indicators and how they will be reported , The CAO  is to work with the ACS  staff to define a reporting relationship between the Centre and Council, including a plan to incorporate Council representation on the Board of Directors.

Direction was  in June to conduct "an agreement compliance review".

Last night's recommendation was accompanied by a report from a "consultant.with particular expertise on  agreement compliance"

 He wasn't at the meeting. He wasn't reporting to Council. He was reporting to staff.

No chance to ask him anything.. Which  kind of  evens things, I guess, because he didn't ask me anything  either nor anybody else who was around in 2006 when the decision was made to invest $2,3million of the Hydro Reserve Fund in the Church Street School  for a  stated purpose thereoff.

The report was received by the director of financial services in August.The director  receives all documentation from the Culture Centre Board with no obligation  to share with council. 

The report starts out by stating " in 2007, council recognised the need for cultural develoopment and adopted a broad  mandate for  a wide  set of arts and culture , as well as heritage programming in the community. Council authorized a withdrawal from the Discretionary Reserve Fund for the purpose of renovating a Heritage Centre with the intention of  establishing an arts and culture centre."

Is  it my imagination, or is there an element of double speak in that paragraph?

The year  of the decision was actually 2006, the last year of the previous council term.

 No reference is made to Strategic Plan  or  Master Recreation Plan. No documentation of community demand. No reference to the bylaw to control expenditure from  the Hydro Reserve Fund. The scope of the project was narrowly defined.  

When the town sold the hydro,  a bylaw was passed  to ensure there would be no withdrawal without  certain steps being followed. The money was not to be frittered away on inconsequential items. The community would be aware  and involved in any  decision  to use the funds.

The vote was unanimous.The objective strong and firm. .

The agreement that  handed  Church Street School , rent free, with no obligation to account to the elected body, with a burden to the taxpayer of half a million dollars a year and growing every year, ad infinitum, is shameless disrespect  for  everything  intended when funds were  provided  from the Hydro Reserve Fund, to complete the renovation project started and funded in  part by the Aurora Historical Society which is now shut out from use of the facility and has been since this board was" elected"staff appointed  and the Centre opened. 

Last night,Council also directed  the town's  legal counsel to review the agreement  and report  on its merits or otherwise.

The agreement is signed by the  former Mayor and former Municipal Clerk for the town.

For the Culture Centre ,it is signed by the  Interim chair  and  Interim Secretary of the Centre Board, who was at the time, Susan Morton Leonard.

As an aside, last night the Mayor hesitated to refer the agreement to the solicitor. He could not see the point. He is aware  how busy the solicitor is.

The solicitor accepted the task. Said he would review the agreement for risks and shortcomings.

Immediately after the vote was taken  , the  CAO vacated his seat, scooped up the solicitor and they left the chamber for a matter of minutes.

It may be my imagination, but I cannot rid myself of the feeling,council is being managed from within
.
I hesitate to use the word manipulated.

It is so easy.

Like an open and on-going invitation.

 The last paragraph of the expert's report states as follows:

"From our discussion with the AHS curator-manager, it appears that there may be a misunderstanding by th AHS in what is described in the study, simply as a reference to their expectations, was an actual recommendation . We were unable to find anything in the study or in the CSA that indicates the Centre has an obligation to the AHS other  than a host for the collection and to collaborate where possible in developing and presenting heritage programming "

Last night, I had  difficulty bringing everything forward  to Council's attention. The new procedure bylaw limits the time a Councillor can speak to ten minutes. Also, the Mayor called a point of order that  I was not speaking  to the  question.  In turn, Councillor Gaertner, presiding member, upheld the Mayor's point..

  I  have just  read the  CSA agreement . I was not aware the signatures on the agreement for the CSA were interim chairman and interim secretary. Who claimed to have authority to bind the corporation.

I had no idea  Morton Leonard's name was on the document.

I heard the argument against accommodating the AHS , is  a museum makes no money.

One of the first events held at the School was a black tie event promoting Sher St. Kitts Jazz Festival. The facility was provided free for the event with the argument  the centre  was promoting culture. Admission to the event was  $75.

I know because I asked. But not Morton Leonard. I had no idea she was involved.

Silly me.