One Potato Two Potato

three potato,four,
five potato,six potato,
seven potato,more.

Children srood in a row with  hands out, rolled into fists. The counter stood  in front,  her hands rolled into fists would hit each  fist with her alternate fist until the last  count.All the others ran and hid .The last one counted  had to seek the others out.

 I  always seemed to be  the youngest. Always had to do the seeking.  Seldom had the fun of hiding and spying on the seeker searching.

Don't know why that game comes to mind this morning. 

We had a light agenda at Council last night . A couple of items dealt with in G.C. , I didn't think should be allowed to pass without discussion. 
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The first  meant an add-on to the 2012 budget of $136,000. It was  a project that would  allow Council to be seen to be  pro-active in fighting the emerald ash tree borer.

I didn't think so,  I didn't think the budget should be increased on the pretext. So I encouraged Councillors, to state  their reasons . . 

First up was Councillor Pirrie. He said the money was coming out of the cash-in-lieu reserve fund so it would not impact the tax rate. Also by adding  Option 6 to Option 1,we would be saving a million dollar.

Councillor Humphryes added , there were grants available if we had a plan in place .

Councillor Thompson said we should be pro-active.

 Councillor Ballard said any time we could save a million dollars, it was a good thing to do. 

Coucillor Able, at first, chose not to speak to it.The did and said he didn't agree with my position.

Councillors Able and Humphryes  initiated the second option after   the choice of Option 1 had been made .

There was no urgency, The pest could  take ten to fifteen years to decimate ash trees on town property. An exact time could not be determined.

 It would  wouldn't happen overnight. It could  cost 2 to 3 million dollars to replace the trees over a period of fifteen years. There are signs  gnawing is underway. .

 Council decided Option 1  isn't good enough by itself.  We had to look like we were doing something. 

That's how we voted last night. 

The original plan  estimated to cost 2 to 3 million dollars, give or takea buck,  involves creating a tree nursery and growing  replacement trees..They take seven years to be of sufficient size. .

The new plan means starting the project in the Fall of this year.

Ir's not clear how we will save a million dollars by doing so.  The money cannot be properly taken from the Cash-in-lieu of parks  fund. The project is in the category of asset maintenance. We do not take cash -in-lieu of parks for town maintenance.. 
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The town treasurer volunteered  Option 6 would mean trees would have the advantage of a full  growing season if planted this Fall. 

The director of parks and Recreation said the trees  would be  dormant when planted. 

We didn't talk about the cockamamie idea of  comforting  residents  upset about a  tree dying in the boulevard in front of their home, by  letting  them provide the funds  to save our tree without   a  guarantee. 

The debate ended with a seven to one  vote in favour of Option 6
With moi opposed. 

The only change was the source and amount of funding.

Funds for the project , $10,000. will come from Council's contingency fund. 

Now we are all set to save a million dollars with an investment of $10,000.

By Fall , with that sum in that time frame,  we shall have leased a property large enough to  accommodate 2,300 trees , we shall have made it ready to receive 2,300  trees, sought out a source or sources for  the variety of trees  needed  and produced the man-power to plant 2,300 dormant trees  all for the munificent price of $10,000.

We will certainly have impressed the populace.

If you believe that, I have a mature ash tree to sell,  ,guaranteed by myself  not to be attacked by the emerald ash tree borer.

I will give  you  a deal you can't refuse; the price of digging it up and taking it away.   .