Lookit Here

   October 4th resolution,  states "THAT Council authorize the CAO, if he deems it necessary, to engage a consultant to assist with the development of the key performance indicators, subject to an upset spending limit of $20,000; and THAT Council authorize the CAO to work with staff from the Aurora Cultural Centre to define the reporting relationship between the Aurora Cultural Centre and Council including a plan to incorporate Council representation on the Aurora Cultural Centre’s Board of Directors.

It's the last resolution adopted by Council to deal the agreement between the   culture centre board and the town.

Note the date. It is nigh on five months since.

There has been no report..

 I've noticed, it seems whenever Council directs staff  many times it  ends up costing extra money. But that authorisation  came from council. See it there  in the resolution.

It didn't need to be. The CAO has authority to spend up to $50,000 (I think) without coming to council for approval .

Whether he did or not, I do not know. Why would  he need a know- nothing consultant to hold discussions with a board with whom he has regular communication.

The librarian  meets  regularly with the CAO .

 Before Mormac, the librarian was a member of the senior  management team but is now excluded from the Executive Leadership Team.

We  have been informed, by the board chair? there has been a reporting  relationship with  town CAO.

 So why would we need to bring a consultant at a cost of $20,000 to discuss the town's  position with the board and make change recommendations along the lines directed by Council  ?

I   just received  a copy of a  long communication sent to the Farmer's Market, from the newest board member (appointed in  October) Susan Shaw, who states" the Board welcomes the opportunity to discuss but have not been given the opportunity"

 Quote:
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.

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The communication is soliciting support from the Farmers Market to oppose to a motion  on a Council agenda.Many of the vendors in  the Market are not Aurora  residents.

 The board, according to Ms Shaw has consulted with  their  own solicitor who "has given his thoughtful opinion"

Quote :
 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.

Why I wonder, would a board member be sending out this communication to the Farmers" Market? Why a new Member hardly there long enough to know what has transpired?

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E-mail from a Culture Centre supporter:

My wife and I are appalled and very surprised that you would entertain a motion to discontinue the operation of the cultural Centre in aurora!!! We have very much enjoyed the various venues the Centre provides and would like to look forward to more in the future.Please reconsider this motion!!! .

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 It's  shorter but fairly typical reaction to the information sent out by the Board .

Shocked and appalled is the general reaction  that  Council would  contemplate debating a motion the board and their supporters do  not support.

"The Board and several of its partners and supporters will be making presentation before the Council on Tuesday as will some of our  detractors"

You should know a little something about our procedure bylaw.

Delegates are allowed 5 minutes  to speak.There's no limit to the number who can speak to the same topic and keep repeating and repeating.

Currently the agenda shows Robert Layton , Board chair as a delegate.

Former Councillor Boll Hogg is  a delegate re. Aurora Culture Centre .   Mr. Hogg is not indicated as "a detractor"

Our procedure allows  delegation requests until Monday afternoon. We will not know until to-morrow, how many more delegates may appear , each  given  five minutes.

All  with opportunity to speak before Council gets to it. 

 The Procedure Bylaw is for the purpose of moving council debate forward in a time efficient manner.

If  you ever had the experience of listening endlessly to the same point being made over and over, a dozen different ways until Friday, you know how  every ounce of energy can be  sucked out of  a room?

 Believe me. It happens.

In our  wisdom, we have set ourselves up for it  in our duly approved Procedure Bylaw.

They don't even have to be residents of the town.