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.
Very nasty stuff just keeps boiling up to the surface.
ReplyDeleteI think the Solicitor will help Council if he can, but
ReplyDeletethey have to do their homework, read agreements and
ask the right questions. He cannot assist the
willfully ignorant as some members present themselves. I hope Abel and Thompson, plus
Pirri, caan help put the brakes. The Mayor can be
either there or not depending on his mood.
When Councillor Humphreys referred to a
ReplyDeletecompromise on Alison's show, this sort of thing was
not what she meant. she commented on the bulk of
the material and its need for a home, And that is all on
tape. We shall have to watch and see.
It seems to me that there is a lot of talk but no action.
ReplyDeleteAnd now we have another consultant to conduct "an agreement compliance review."
What the hell is this? What does it mean? Are we simply continuing to spend money on the un-necessities of life in our town?
A consultant reports to staff but not Council. WTF!
Is anyone in charge at the monkey-farm? No! Don't answer that. My blood pressure will just go into the danger zone.
Accountability and transparency don't seem to count any more. But a good dose of common sense would go a long way to restoring responsibility.
New documents will be released to the public soon.
ReplyDeleteThey will upset many and make others squirm.
This sounds like a set of Russian MATRYOSHKA dolls that nestle one inside another, usually six or seven in number.
ReplyDeleteThey can be the cutest doll faces you have ever seen, boys and/or girls.
Or they can be some of the most inconceivable frights and monsters that you never want to see, even on Halloween.
It sounds as though this second lot has planted itself firmly into our community.
It must be rooted out and replaced by those who gladly serve, not those whose sole aim is to make a name for themselves within little odious rooms that exist only to give them a sense of power, false though it is.
Get out the cudgels and drive them into the light of day, whereupon they will turn to dust and disperse with the wind.