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
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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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