How Council Abrogates It's Authority

It's taking time for some readers to understand what this blog is about.
I occupy a seat at the Council table. I have an opportunity to participate in  town  business as she is being conducted.  
I can keep people who choose to read my posts informed in a way never  possible before. 
I've been doing it  snce August 2007.
Numbers of viewers and visitors are recorded daily.
A spike in numbers reflects increased interest. It can be as high as sixty. 
Controversy sends  numbers zooming. It's the nature of things.
I don't create the drama  I just relate it.
Last night was a for instance. Council refused to deal with an agenda of twenty-six items,204 pages and awards of ten million dollars of contracts.
It was  general committee. Recommendations were made for Council approval next week.
We had a tie vote on one project. $1.4 million for additional soccer fields identified as a need  in the Master Recreation Plan, adopted  by the last Council.
Once a  Master Plan is approved, it's staff  responsibility  to proceed with plans to implement.
Developer charges  are collected for needs identified in the plan. Regulations  require needs to be identified to justify collecting developer charges.
By the time a report is presented to Council months of  work by many people, has already been done to determine estimates  to accomplish one or other of the objective of the Council adopted Master Plan .
The Strategic Plan  about to be approved will have the same implications. 
Council  will  likely adopt it. It cost $80.000.for a consultant to prepare .
 It will be  the work plan for the Executive Leadership Team for twenty years. If Council directs anything else to be done, a consultan will have to be retained because staff are too busy with their own work. 
Last night's proposal for $1.4 million  worth of soccer fields is an example of how the system works. 
Within the plan, a cost of $278,000 was identified as necessary as a result of timing. 
If the project could wait until 2.c developers are further advanced with their plans, theoretically that amount could be saved.
The vote was four to four.The Mayor was absent. 
The count could change by the time it  gets  to Council 
The decision is not as simple as it may seem.
Developer charges will pay ninety per cent of the cost.. 
We can't use the funds for other purposes.
Cash-in-lieu of parks reserves  can provide the rest.
But  more used for one project,is less available for the next and the need for economy is ever present.
If the plan is not approved ,  month's of man hours in planning will  have been wasted.
Costs do not decrease with time.  
Shelving the plan  will not necessarily result in  savings.
Site preparation, a large part of the cost, would be less if the job had been completed when the baseball diamond was built. 
A big stink  was made then about that  price tag being $1.6 million.
Former Councillor MacEachern knew places where baseball diamonds were built for half that amount.The price tag came in under a million.
Plaudits claimed for the politicians. .
The tricky thing is this ;playing fields have to  be flat .
We live high in the hills. We enjoy fabulous scenery when the view is unimpeded .
When it comes to creating  sports fields, we literally have to move mountains.Prep work takes months.There's no way around it. Humps, bumps and  lumps are everywhere.
A man made mountain when the Stronach Centre increased with construction of  the diamond. Prep work of the entire site was not done.
There was an  understanding from our Federal M.P. Lois Brown.  the project would qualify for  a stimulus grant .No application was made.
This post was to be about another $450,000  contract approved to be awarded last night.
I will tell about that tomorrow. .