Comments about the culture centre require response.
Tracy Smith is a male board member. He has become a reader and we have civil discourse.
I don't know how many people are employed at the centre.
I don't know what percentage of the budget is payroll.
Other than the chairman and Tracey Smith, I know no other board members.
Their backgrounds are not familiar to me.
I have not heard honorariums are paid.
I receive notices of upcoming programs.
I know the St Kitts woman initially received free access to the facility to promote the family business.
The town makes frequent use of the facility.
I do not know if we pay fees. I asked.
I know a number of existing culture programs have re-located to the Centre.
I don't know if use of the Centre is provided free for these programs.
I believe revenue for town space vacated must be reduced.
The art gallery at the town hall and programs at the senior's centre are examples.
Staff program activities at the Senior Centre. A beautiful new facility with a large room, restaurant equipped kitchen and ample modern toilet facilities is available for permitting when not in use by seniors.
Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? I think that may be the case.
The first decision made by the Culture Centre was to refuse space to the museum while giving free space to the St.Kitts woman at the same time.
The museum was the principal reason for the 3 million dollar renovation.
It is a function of the administration to efficiently manage town affairs. And account to Council.
The business at the Centre is not accounted to Council.
It is not required under the untenable agreement created by the administration.
It is the reason I am not sympathetic to an amended agreement.
I accepted the former treasurer's advice an arm's length board would prevent the facility becoming a sinkhole for public resources. He did not survive Mormac to make his vision a practical reality.
I accepted the museum and culture activities would co-exist in the building. It has not happened.
A legal review has established the agreement is without merit.
Public interest is not served.
The board has no reason for being.
It is not like the library.
It is not like Theatre Aurora,a facility created out of a dilapidated cinder block factory building with broken windows, filled with concrete rubble and alive with noise and excrement of the winged variety and thousands of hours of work and passion by players strutting the board.
The Culture Centre has marshalled support to resist the authority of the people's representatives and divide the community to protect their status quo.
Museum and culture are not in dispute
A public investment of 3 million dollars is proof.
The question is, management of building and programs.
The argument is about the principle of accountability.
Council and Council alone has authority,responsibility and accountability to create right from wrong.
Sooner rather than later.
To maintain the public trust.
Can we do less?
I think not.
I see that you've edited this post since it was first published. However, it still contains misinformed opinions and falsehoods.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Evelyn, That clears up the identity confusion but poses another question. Mr. Smith wrote that he was not paid by the Town of Aurora. Does that mean Board members are unpaid or that he makes a distinction between money that passes from the Town through the hand of the Culture Centre and ultimately to him ?
ReplyDeleteJust curious about the money trail.
Why do we need to continue to try tie everything that is bad in the Town with Morris - MacEachren - St. Kitts.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that we have become so jaded in our views that everything is linked to these three.
I personally do not think that the collective mind of the three of them is not bright enough to think up half of what is proported to be.
12:33 PM
ReplyDeleteSame person on two of Evelyn's lines of dialogue both complaining about opinions, falsehoods etc. If something is wrong, incorrect or any of your niggling words, fix the damn thing. Stop bitching without contributing a single thought. No one will object if you replace misinformation with more accurate data. But, for heaven's sake, just do it.
I totally agree with 2:27 PM
ReplyDeleteThey were not bright enough, not even bright, singularly But they were in with the bully boys. cowed staff and big city lawyers and the rest is dreadful history. I should point out that they have not quit the field. Someone is paying Morris's bills to allow her to drag others down, someone voted not to allow the closed session to be made public and both Morris and Evalina were at Council this week on various causes. Three lawsuits that could have been settled are still on the slow judicial track.
We are indeed jaded but that only relates to specific individuals and cleaning up the collective mess. Then it can be fast forward with new homes. a
Rec Center for teens and the museum.
There must be something in the water at the nest of the vultures.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need the Culture Vultures. They need our building and our money. They refuse to talk a contract until AFTER the next budget. Pack and leave...we'll throw in the damn piano. But please shut up and leave.
ReplyDelete"We do not need the Culture Vultures. They need our building and our money. They refuse to talk a contract until AFTER the next budget. Pack and leave...we'll throw in the damn piano. But please shut up and leave."
ReplyDeleteWait one God Damned minute! Who said that "our" building should be used for what you want? I am tired of people like you telling me what to do with MY building and MY money!
Maybe I want "our" building to be used as a karate school? or a centre for training the public with computers?
Stop telling me what I want!!