"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 7 December 2011

It's A Novel Notion

A poster asks if  comments made to this blog, critical and otherwise could be forwarded to the persons referred.

I'm not sure  they would be welcome. I have often thought comments I receive should really be going to Council at large to have an impact. It  would require the writer to identify him or herself.

I believe it is important for the Mayor and Council to know what people are saying. But I think it has to be direct communication.

I have a story this morning. It started yesterday or to be more precise  last year. Now it is unfolding.

It's about extension and gap filling of sidewalks in the town.

I brought the problem to the attention of Public works when I  got my scooter. Now there's  a map.

Last night  a recommendation was made  in committee to approve a consultant contract to design  sidewalks on both sides of  Industrial  Parkway at an estimated cost of $300,000. The  design  is to cost   $94,000.

Here's the deal.The town has a team of certified design technicians on the payroll

They are too busy to  design  sidewalks. There's a lot involved. Research to determine location of  underground utilities and such.

We just  awarded a contract for $440,000 or thereabouts to buy a software program to be able to track infrastructure assets on a computer. We already have them on excel spreadsheets.

Of course we have. You can't have stuff like gas lines underground without knowing where they are.

The region just laid twelve feet of concrete pads  at all the bus stops in town.  They are at least as deep and definitely wider than any sidewalk. They are for  bus passengers to stand on and not get their feet wet. The region it seems  had no trouble determining where underground utilities were before they slapped down the concrete.

It's not even their responsibility. They must have gotten the information from town records.

I do not accept  that tons of research is needed to know where underground utilities are.

I do not accept design technicians on the town's payroll for the purpose of designing, can be too busy to design sidewalks.

If that's not in their work program, I want to know exactly what is.

WTF

There can be nothing simpler than a sidewalk to design.

We farm out road designs to consultant contractors.

We spent $168.000 on a consultant to design a cockamamie treatment system to remove salt from snow when any elementary student knows salt and snow cannot exist together.

Where there is salt, there cannot be snow. Where there is snow,there cannot be salt.

When the vote  on the award of the sidewalk design contract, was taken last night, I think Councillor Thompson must have experienced a sense of  what it's like to be me
.
He had suggested to the director if the design technicians on the town's payroll are too busy to design sidewalks, a technician on contract could take care of the excess work load and design the sidewalks.

The director simply indicated he would not do that.

When the vote was taken and declared  to award the  contract  Councillor Thompson was sufficiently stunned to ask for it to be taken again.

Mayor Dawe, Councillors Abel, Pirrie, Gallo and Ballard voted  again to award the contract.

Councillor Gaertner was absent.

Do not ask me for an explanation of the majority vote. It is beyond comprehension

There was nothing, absolutely nothing in the director's rationale  that persuaded me to its  merit.

We are currently spending  thousands of dollars on another " system" to improve customer service to "our stakeholders".

It appears satisfactory answers to  questions from Councillors is not part of good customer service.

Elected representatives who ask questions and expect logical answers are clearly not the stakeholders they have in mind.

Then again, why should it matter when five other "stakeholders' are  on hand, who ask no questions and accept non-answers, an are clearly satisfied with the "customer service".

Councillor Thompson.Humphryes and myself did not accept the recommendation. I for one am a dis-satisfied "stakeholder".

The committee decision will be ratified in Council next Tuesday.

If nothing else like public indignation intervenes.






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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

An opinion poll is anonymous but its result often brings about change.

When we vote, the way we mark the ballot is anonymous and the result often brings about change. Just look what happened in Aurora in October of last year.

A Superior Court Justice has ruled that anonymity is perfectly acceptable when one expresses an opinion or makes a comment on a blog, freedom of expression.

The "novel notion" should not be arbitrarily discarded.

There is nothing wrong in the Mayor and Council knowing what people think or say, directly or indirectly.

Most people don't want their identities known, for whatever reason, but they do want their opinions to be heard and acted upon.

You are in the perfect position to act as a conduit for these opinions.

Anonymous said...

"A poster asks if comments made to this blog, critical and otherwise could be forwarded to the persons referred"

The poster must be joking , if they think for one moment that your blog is not getting hit on every day by every one remotely associated with Town business ,

was there not a town employee assigned to monitor every word written here during Mormacs watch , what would make anyone think this has changed ???

Anonymous said...

Since Aurorans would rather watch a fight than
participate, I suggest that someone get a
petition up and running. Taxpayers will sign names &
addresses if they can do so to avoid turning up in
person. I will sign it and can get plenty more but we
seriously need a base for the anger. Otherwise it
will be business as usual.

Anonymous said...

Is it too late for the Aura Team to have a wee chat
with Geoff ? Hard to motivate tired tax payers but
pissed off friends might do the trick.

Anonymous said...

More than a year after the election and people in
town will not phone their councillors with their
problems. It might have to do with the fact that there
are still the same two senior staff sifting mail and
visitors. Talk is free in town but the feeling is there
in that building that it can cost people their jobs.
Uphill fight for you, Evelyn. really sorry about that.

Anonymous said...

Not to be posted, just FYI.
You had my rapt attention with this post until...WTF. Yes, WTF is with your WTF?
So unnecessary.
I can swear like a sailor as well as the next guy, but I can't help thinking your use of it has the wiff of Christopher Watts.
WTF ain't clever. It ain't witty. It is obnoxious and peurile. But most of all, it is beneath you.
You don't need to resort to that level of silliness. I shudder to think you are taking any cues from Mr. Watts. He has become an object of ridicule at the Town Hall.
Mr. Gingernut. Emphasis on nut.
take care.

Anonymous said...

"The director simply indicated he would not do that".

WTF is that ? Who prey tell is running this farm ???
A councilor asks a perfectly logical question and receives a response like that? looks like it’s time to stop playing nice, get control back in the hands of the people that are paying their wages and separate the wheat from this chaff

Anonymous said...

Just a couple of questions.

Was the design cost arrived at by the submission of tenders, or is it an estimate, pie in the sky or otherwise?

Is there any chance that the dollars spent on the design, to say nothing about the actual construction, have a chance of staying in town by using local contractors?

It would be nice to think that our residents might be benefiting somewhat from all of these various tax dollar expenditures.

Anonymous said...

The unprovoked attack on Christopher by an
anonymous poster who CLAIMS to speak for those at
the Town Hall was petty, mean-spirited and reeked of
jealousy. Also a poor attempt to change direction of
the other posters.
Meow !

Anonymous said...

I personally, as I wouldn't claim to speak for others
as some do, get a kick out of Evelyn's occasional use of
WTF. It accurately sums up some of situations that she
deals with and frequently her readers reflect the same
reaction.
Stupid person trying to edit Evelyn's words.

Matt Maddocks said...

Hi Evelyn -

Wow, it looks like a certain "anonymous" (the brave), has really taken a shine to your blog. I wonder what this individual has in mind? Surely it wouldn't be for something as sneaky and obvious as to skew honest debate, or sent in here as a "troll" or "flamer" as they're known in the 2.0 world, would it? Hmmm. Little shots here and there aimed at you, Mayor Dawe, the "Aura Team" (whatever that is), the current administration, David Heard, and even my bud Chris Watts. There's even a very strange reference to "our long lost friend RBO" - oops, I mean "RTB". Deja vu all over again? This sure does have a familiar smell.

WTF? There, I said it. "Why The Fuss?" Or, could it mean something else? That's the funny thing about acronyms; like "anonymous" or a box of chocolates, you never know what yer gonna get. On that note then "anonymous", I'll see your WTF, and raise you a STFU.

M.M.

P.S. Knowing that Chris has a very healthy sense of humour, I'm sure he'll get a good laugh out of "Gingernut". But with the emphasis on "nut", can you make them pistachios? Chris and I both share a love of them. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 7 December, 2011 9:10 PM

....


Love it.... I thought I was the only one that had a problem with the wack-job. Got to hand it to him, he has gotten a gig in the paper from his retorical crap.

Got to like the name.... Gingernut. Wasn't it RtB that called him the Convicted Child Killer?

Anonymous said...

If YRT can lay down all of these pads of concrete without consultants, perhaps they can pay some consultants now to end this stupid transit strike.

If they did that, maybe the kids (like mine) that have been told that they live too close to get a school bus - but still too far to walk - can get to and from school without making the lives of everyone else in the house a living hell of re-scheduling.

Anonymous said...

How very childish and tacky. If you cannot best the
other person intellectually, you go after a personal
trait. Like the colour of Christopher's hair. You should both be ashamed of yourselves.
That is so sick !

Anonymous said...

I received an email that my internet name was being used on Evelyn's blog and Mr Maddocks is dragging it through the mud. I had to come in a have a look.

I have not actively participated on this blog or the A-C (although not many have participated there, it seems to be in hibernation) for a number of months. I have also reserved myself from posting anything on my own blog since mid-May. I still get an email once in a while about it, and in a case of utter insomnia, I might have a look here - but not often.

I went to the UK in May and upon my return I found my employment situation changed drasticly - thanks to US-based parent company mis-management. I found my UK visit refreshing and after being in places and buildings that have stood for 1000+ years, the crap that occurs on these little Aurora blogs is so minor in comparison, I found myself not wanting to participate any longer. Looking at the various topics that have been discussed here, clearly nothing has changed. There are a few different players, but the same cycle is repeating itself.

To Mr Maddocks. I assure you, any posts here that have referenced me, my blog or my real identity are purely a coincidence. I did get an email from someone who read my blog, I am honoured that they quote or reference me here, but it has not been me, I doubt that other than this comment (if Evelyn chooses to publish it) I will not be posting here anytime soon.

I don't have the stomach to argue pointless debates about people that are 14 months away from holding elected office. The current group of ego-maniacs around the council table are not much different than the last, and won't be much different from the next.

I don't have the stomach to be at the receiving end of barbs from a self-appointed media mogul accusing me of have an STD. His attempts at hummour were amatuerish at best and sadly crying for attention at worse.

There are far more better things to do than huddle around the computer in a self-admiration society and complain about the things that people for hunderds of years complain about.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Have fun here. I guess it passes the time for you all. I am sure that there are more productive things you could be doing, but we are all different.

Fuimus

Robert the Bruce