"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

Monday 5 March 2012

Shades Of The Past


From: Susan Walmer [mailto:swalmer@rogers.com]
Sent: March 5, 2012 9:33 AM
To: Dawe, Geoff
Subject: Town Hall Meeting Monday March 5th at 7-9pm regarding the Aurora Tree Bylaw
Please circulate to all members of Council.

We would like to officially extend our invitation to the Mayor and all Town Councillors to the meeting hosted by the Ratepayers of Aurora Young South at  7pm, Aurora Town Hall, 100 John West Way.  

**************

On Tuesday, during  public forum  Susan Walmer was first up at the podium with a  request was for Council to provide staff  to a town hall meeting being organized by Councillor Ballard in the Council Chamber  on March 5th to discuss the new tree bylaw. 

The meeting  is being hosted by the  Ratepayers of Aurora Yonge South , R.A.Y.S. previously known as South West Aurora Taxpayers. S.W.A.T., A,K.A. Susan Walmer. 

 Councillor Ballard has arranged  free use of the Council Chamber
and attempted free use of town staff  also for their purpose. 

At Ballard's request, Council dealt with Walmer's  request before the end of  Tuesday's meeting.

 It was refused. 

Council directed staff to organize a town meeting in the Council chamber with all relevant staff present presided over by the Mayor 
with all of Council present and correct.

It had not been planned. 

Preparation of the new bylaw was a lengthy process with concerned  residents involved and informed  every step of the way. Council endorsed the process with no objection  or amendment proposed by Ballard.

No request for a public meeting was forwarded  by the concerned residents. 

Comments on the Bylaw will be received until April 3rd.

The Town's process is not yet complete. 

And Susan Walmer  informs  Council in a public meeting that  S.W.A.T. ,read Walmer, is hosting a meeting on the issue in our Council Chamber and  requests town staff be present,

Council members  can book the Council chamber and meeting rooms in the town hall at will, without payment of fees. 

Councillor Ballard has a  room booked for the Queen's York Rangers to meet. 

Councillor Humphryes has a  room booked for the Farmers' Market Executive to meet.

No user fees to be paid.

User fees are paid by every other organization that uses space in the town hall.

It's how we ensure fairness.  
 
Residents who have lived here for seven or eight years , may recall  how the  Council Chamber was used for meetings by former Councillor Morris.

 Discussion of  increased voltage  hydro wires took on  a life of its own, outside of a process approved by Council and $100,000 of taxpayers  resources committed.

Meetings were raucous and accusatory and barely controlled, with Morris in charge.

One resident  asked for the name and address of a hydro official so that he could be sued  when  the resident's ten year old son received a diagnosis of leukemia. 

The crowd roared with  laughter and mindless approval, as if the  winning goal had been scored in overtime. 

Subsequently Morris won the Office of Mayor  with the majority of votes from that side of town with  her commitment to ensure hydro lines would be buried.

Credence was lent the promise by use of the Council Chamber to the entire shameful episode. 

Once comfortably ensconced, Morris' promise was never raised again.

So now, we have them back at it again.

Why not. It was a winning strategy before.

Ballard on the inside. a willing party if ever I saw one and  Walmer ever present and ready to swoop in wherever there's an opportunity to  exploit  a perceived problem.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Walmart is still smarting over the loss of her key to the Town Hall and her parking space by the entrance. That had not been in her plans.

Anonymous said...

If this is based on the removal of trees at Beacon Hall, the removal has been completed and was totally within the rights of the Golf Course and the Condo residents.
Perhaps the aim is to try and force other groups to comply with some new hair-brained By-law in the future.? But the tree removal at Beacon Hall can not be undone. Nor should it be. They can show pretty pictures of trees, birds and animals all they wish. Those within that community have their own boards of directors. Never heard of MYOB?

Anonymous said...

WHAT THE FUCK!!!

The letters just don't do justice to this.

Hope I haven't offended.

Anonymous said...

Far be it for me to ruffle Walmart's feathers with factual information. She does not handle it well. But Beacon Hall is recognized by the Audubon Society and has a specific approved program approved by both boards and their members.
But, no, I will not invite any of the screechers for tea so they can tour with me.

Anonymous said...

I have no history on this issue and no comment on its validity.

But... when someone informs you of a meeting the day of the meeting it can mean a number of things:
(1) they forgot to invite you when the meeting was planned or inviting you now was an after thought;
(2)the meeting was put together very last minute - this is an emergency meeting or it could be that they don't plan very well;
(3) by inviting you last minute they can always say you had an invitation (so where were you) even though you may have had other plans/meetings/appointments etc.
(4) or other reasons.
If then you don't attend it only looks to them that you don't care enough about them. They tell the attendees that you were invited (without the details on how you were invited)and for whatever reason you are not there.
Since they sent the invitation to the Mayor asking for distribution to Council the day of the meeting, it is now on the onus of the Mayor to see that the others got the invitation when they could have used allcouncillors@aurora.ca

Anonymous said...

The Minutes of the Council Meeting of February 28, 2012 read, Re: March 5 Tree By-law Town Hall Meeting:

Moved by Ballard Seconded by Gallo

THAT the Procedural By-law be waived to allow Council direction to Staff

Carried

Moved by Ballard Seconded by Gallo

That the memorandum regarding March 5 Tree By-law Town Hall Meeting be received; and

That Council direct staff to organize a public meeting to present the Town's proposed tree protection by-law and to answer any questions that the public might have at that time.

I see no place where Walmer, S. or Ballard, C. requested or demanded a public meeting with the Mayor and entire Council present plus a full complement of staff.

Are we now going to be doing to trees what is already happening to culture in our community?

This rot has got to stop, NOW!

Anonymous said...

Space for the Farmers' Market meeting, I can see, for the present. But The Rangers have the old Hydro Building, do they not?

Anonymous said...

Weird, the minutes from Tuesday make this very fuzzy.

Anonymous said...

In the States, groups like that of Simpering Susan are called PACs and all parties have them. They are well-funded, vociferous, media-mad and will go after anything that breathes or moves. To allow one to prosper in Aurora is lunacy.

Anonymous said...

I believe the bird currently under discussion is known as the Eastern Turkey Vulture which is not commonly seen in winter in Canada. Perhaps the shift in climate is responsible for it's presence now. Please consult Wikipedia for breeding and nesting habits They do tend to congregate in number so we should keep an eye out for a colony site.

Anonymous said...

AKA Buzzards. Feeding on Carrion & other neat stuff. Yuck! And Aurorans worry about a couple of healthy coyotes. Gimme a break.

Anonymous said...

5:07 PM
Windy is yelling " Code of Conduct ".

Anonymous said...

We could actually come up against the Audubon Society. Certain species of turkey vultures are apparently protected. So try to make nice until we discover if you can trap and transport them.

Anonymous said...

Here we go again, bending to the control freaks , pretty soon you'll need to take out permit to breath the same tainted air that the rest of these do gooders breath , when is this type of medaling with property owners rights going to stop,