There was a little flurry this week-end. Council's agenda recommends yet another contract award.This time for construction of David English Park..
Staff have had to request funds beyond the original budget. An explanation was attached as required.
The park was to have been built by the developer. Staff had worked to make that happen. He wanted it in place for would-be-home buyers to appreciate the neighbourhood.
The project was designed and costs calculated. Development charges would have been credited.
The plan did not go forward.
When the site plan was being considered by Council, former Councillor MacEachern objected to inclusion of a park. It was a small neighbourhood. While the park would be funded with development charges, maintenance cost would be a burden to taxpayers.
The argument did not carry. The park was included in the site plan. .
A Master Recreation Plan had been commissioned by Council. The draft was submitted and referred to the Leisure Services Committee. chaired by the former Councillor.
The Draft did not re-emerge from the committee for many months. When it did.it had been re-written by the Councillor and committee member,and former mayor's friend, Ken Whitehurst.
Council adopted the re-written version of the Plan.
The David English Park did not proceed. Approval of the Master Recreation Plan had to come first.
As is the norm,the subsequent park design was in consultation with new home-owners. It includes a playground. The price is $126,955,52 beyond the original.
As noted above. development charges collected are not sufficient.
At the week-end, a Councillor circulated an e-mail to the Director and the rest of Council, requesting confirmation of his understanding of the report.
It was Sunday. I took it upon myself to provide the confirmation and several other pertinent details and replied to all.
Since a former Councillor's name was referenced in my e-mail. Councillor Ballard forwarded it to the former Councillor and invited input.
Another small but interesting facet relates to the story
Naming the yet-to-be-built park ,was a prize in a successful fund-raiser for the cancer care facility at South Lake Health Centre.
The former Mayor took a deal of pride in several thousands of dollars being raised in that fashion.
Monday, 14 November 2011
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5 comments:
Clr. Buck,
Could you please help me to clarify my understanding of the issue of naming this park.
On page 14 of the 2011 Capital Projects report available online here:
http://www.town.aurora.on.ca/app/wa/mediaEntry?mediaEntryId=58159
Project 73133 is listed as "David English Park"
Under Explanation/Highlights it reads:
"This Park has been named David English Park resulting from Council approved fundraising event where the naming rights of this proposed park were sold."
Am I to understand that there were two fundraising events to name the same park?
Are you seriously suggesting that the former's name is being considered for this as yet unnamed park?
Is so, I suggest Stoney Mountain as an alternative.
Using the Former's own convoluted reasoning in
dealing with John West Way, Morris could not have a
place named for her as this would give her an unfair
advantage should she ever run for politics again. Which
God forbid.
Why would one burden some innocent bit of land
with a nefarious name ?
I am sure that the ginger warrior knew this already. But he is our modern day Oscar Wilde. This only thing worse than being blogged about.... is not being blogged about.
I was actually at that event as a guest of a friend(not the mayor).
As EB stated - it was a Southlake fundraiser down in Vaughan.
The naming rights for a 'parkette' were offered for auction.
It's been a few years but if memory serves the action was getting hot and heavy between two bidders.
(I don't recall the exact numbers but there were a lot oohs and aahs from the crowd)
A 'timeout' was called for a few minutes while the powers that be (and I assume the mayor) had a pow-wow.
It was then announced that TWO parkettes would be named and thus both bidders 'won' and Southlake effectively doubled their money.
By all accounts a happy ending for all concerned.
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