I left the meeting on Tuesday after the discussion about the Church Street School agreement. The next item on the agenda was a future policy about indemnification for councillors and staff.I am assured by all, I do not have a conflict of interest because the policy is for going forward and litigation I have initiated is in the past.
But it is not past. It is current. I filed against six individuals. They have received indemnification under the town's insurers. The suit is ongoing.
I am not comfortable discussing a policy without being able to say what I think about its necessity.
What I think, has to do with my experience. Since the law suit has a claim of $5.2 million attached. I think that puts me in a conflict...of sorts.
Anyway, except for two people I am familiar with on the Church Street School board, the rest seated themselves in the first row of seats opposite me on Tuesday. Like the soccer club members who came last year to glare at me throughout the meeting, except they were in the last row.
When I left the town hall, they were huddled outside in conference. I heard it from someone who left before me. And someone who left after. They were heard to discuss a letter writing campaign from or to the community.
The story is credible. Because they've been doing it already. Three letters have been received over the months.Including the one from David Griffith, a former Councillor, obviously a man of culture and hostility.
Councillor Abel received several hostile e-mails and one quite abusive, from board members in June after he gave notice of motion to review the agreement.
It's an interesting paradox.
The board sits at the will of Council. Circumstances dictate the appearance of respect.
The town owns the building, provides the funds which justify their existence.. When the funds were approved to renovate the building for a specific purpose, neither that board nor the staff existed.
The library board and the librarian functions under the Library Board Act, has authority under the Act, is located in a building owned by the town, receives funding from the town, and observes all rules of propriety and respect towards the Town and its elected body.
This board functions under an agreement ,which as far as I know was neither written nor vetted by the town's legal department. It seems to have been written by the finance department as a simple purchase of services agreement unlike any I have ever seen.
Board members were not appointed by council.They are unlikely to have been elected . despite the expert consultant's statement to that effect. but there they are huddled together in the gloaming outside the town hall, plotting, if not the overthrow of council, at least how to mount a battle against Council in order to survive the vicissitudes of public service.
Rather than continually beating around the bush on this thing and hiring more useless consultants, would it not be better to simply state the obvious issues, offer them an opportunity to renegotiate the contentious items and get back control of this grossly inflated cost centre , You owe it to the less "cultured" tax payers , whom by the way happen to make up the majority in this town who have not once darkened this high and mighty ground formerly known as the Church Street School , Home of the Aurora Museum
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