I stepped away from the computer to obtain sustenance for my continuing task of chronicling events as they occur and another blinding light smote me to illuminate another detail of the onslaught.
The Mayor has told us of the secrecy of board meetings and that he was not allowed to divulge any of the goings on to Council.
He was obliged to reveal that positively weird circumstance because of an e-mail from residents disclosing that he "participates" in board meetings.
How would the resident, intent on letting council know of support for the centre and opposition to any decision council might make on the issue, be aware of the Mayor's attendance, if she had not been informed of the fact by a member of the board.
Since the board chairman is leading the campaign in opposition to any decision council might make on the issue, why should we not assume, the board chairman strategically leaked the information about secret meetings and "participation" by the Mayor.
Obviously it's all part of a nefarious plot to usurp the authority of Council.
The Mayor tells us the solicitor advised he should not accept the chairman's invitation and why. He did anyway.
I bet he won't make that mistake again.
You wouldn't believe the number of e-mails we've received from people far and wide, who desperately wish they had a facility like ours in their community supported from town funds.
Once again Aurora, the only place in the Province, to open town coffers and allow funds to flow unimpeded while blandly proclaiming efficient fiscal management.
More later
Sure, they pulled the rug out from under Mayor Dawe's feet deliberately. But he and the CAO placed their feet onto that carpet despite being told it was foolhardy. Lots of regret floating around. Must wait until after the Tuesday meeting to assess damage and responsibility.
ReplyDeleteThis was sent out to The Aurora Farmers Market FYI.
ReplyDeleteHello.
I am one of the newest members of the Centre's Board of Directors (since Oct. 2011) and am writing to ask for your show of support for the Aurora Cultural Centre at the Feb. 28th meeting of Town Council. As you may be aware, two Councillors have put forward a motion to terminate the current agreement between the Town and the Aurora Cultural Centre, and this motion, along with possible amendments, will be discussed by Council on Tuesday pm. The ultimate goal of the motion is to establish an Ad Hoc Committee, comprised of representatives from the Town and the Centre, to develop parameters for a new agreement that will continue the successful programs of the Centre.
The Cultural Centre's Board of Directors is in agreement with this goal. We appreciate the working relationship that has been created between the Centre and Town - it has had it's ups and downs, but overall we are proud of the undisputed success that both partners have achieved. What we do NOT agree with, however, is the method that the Councillors are using to achieve this goal - i.e. the motion to "terminate" the current Agreement. The Agreement, which doesn't expire until Dec. 2013, allows for negotiations, changes and amendments to its terms, and both the Town and the Board demonstrated this flexibility in 2010 by negotiating and approving changes to the original financial reporting procedures. The Centre's Solicitor, a former member of Aurora Council, has given his thoughtful opinion that any concerns of council can, indeed, be dealt with through changes to the current Agreement.
In addition to this unnecessary disruption with our partnership, the main problem with the motion to prematurely "terminate" the agreement is that it creates unnecessary and undue risk for the Board and the Town - not only for performances and events that have been contracted well into 2013, but also for the fiduciary responsibility for signed employment contracts with the Centre's staff. Furthermore, the negative implications of 'termination' also affect the Board's ability to secure potential sponsors for the Centre's programs.
Many of the expressed concerns about the Centre are based on a report by the Town's Solicitor, which Council reviewed on Dec. 8, 2011 and directed Town staff to "initiate discussions with the Church Street School Cultural Centre to address the issues raised" in that report. Our Board has not yet been given that opportunity, in spite our assurances to Town staff and various councillors that we too would like to discuss the content of the report, as we do not concur with many of its assumptions.
I hope that you agree that there is a more positive way to address the concerns that have been expressed about the Town's contractual agreement with the Aurora Cultural Centre. The Town and residents of Aurora have an opportunity to begin to define the "next steps" for the operation of one of the town's most successful and creative institutions. By working together the Town and the Centre can achieve new objectives for the delivery of arts, culture and heritage programming, and eclipse the unprecedented success that the Centre has achieved in its first 2 years.
The Board and several of its partners & supporters will be making presentations to Council on Tuesday evening, as will some of our detractors. Please join us, if you can, at Council Chambers, Aurora Town Hall @ 7:00pm on February 28th.
Susan
Susan Shaw, Member of the Board of Directors
Aurora Cultural Centre
OK, I've mulled this over all day and reached a sobering conclusion. Aurorans are not going to be easy with the idea of yet another Mayor taking unilateral action without informing all of his/her councillors. This is supposed to be a team effort even if there some that work a heck of a lot harder than others and read a lot more information. We cannot afford to be exclusionary again. Fine to work with staff but the loop should be open if we lecture others, like Georgina, about their responsibilities. Fight it out in-house. No lone rangers.
ReplyDelete6:29 PM Are you Aurora Coalition ?
ReplyDelete8:15 PM
ReplyDeleteNo
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading through your website. Thanks a lot!