The Way We Work

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "My Manifesto": One Question
Why is there this unseemly rush to judgement?
The Draft has not really been released for reading by the Aurora website. Communications have not posted it. Residents are expected to accept what Council rules Tuesday night without having any documentation. Not many of us have time to get to the Library before the meeting.
Why is there this unseemly rush to judgement?
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Nero fiddled while Rome burned ...was that a positive attitude or  a negative  response?
I was awake at 5.30a.m.this morning.  Trying to remember if  Council's  resolution  in February/March 2012 , giving direction  to staff ,was included in Background provided  in Report No. CAO12-019 presented  as Item 11 on the Agenda of  the General Committee Meeting of Council on  October 16th. recommending  a new agreement with the Culture Centre Board.
I was up at six...sorting pages. Putting into order the seventy- five page report.
Let nobody say  being a Councillor is not a labour of love.
The  recommended draft agreement is twenty pages.. The Report is seventy-five pages.  It  includes several  attachments.
But not the relevant resolution. 
I needed to see it . To determine exactly what it  said. 
Readers may recall; In February,  Councillor Abel and Pirri  gave notice of intent to table a motion that  provided for  notice of termination of the agreement with the Culture Centre Board. 
The motion was debated to the point of the vote .Then there was an inexplicable pause by the Chair.... who had spoken fulsomely in support of the motion. 
After a space,  Councillor Humphreys moved  and  Councillor Thompson seconded ....WHAT.
It was  never clear. 
At the head of the table, confusion reigned.
Discussion of the wording of the amendment  between the Chair and  CAO.  Following which, Councillor Thompson expressed uncertainty about what was  proposed by the amendment. 
It was odd.
He seconded the amendment. 
Council voted to accept the motion as amended.. Councillor Abel, Pirri and myself in opposition.
Gallo,Ballard and Gaertner in support. They were not in favour of terminating the agreement. 
We never saw the wording  from which direction emanated. Although,I suppose, it might have appeared  in the minutes presented for approval at the  next Council Meeting.
It is not included in  Report No. CAO12-019, recommending
staff be directed to finalise a new draft agreement with the Culture Centre Board.
The report  refers to Council approval of terms of reference for an ad-hoc committee to  negotiate a new contract with the Culture Centre Board on April 5th 2012.
It attaches  the Solicitor's Review of the current contract  dated Dec.6th 2011 and  the Auditor's Report on conformity with the current agreement on October 4th 2011.
It does not contain a copy of the amended resolution of Council giving approval to  re-negotiate the agreement in early March of 2012. Whic, if I recall gave a deadline of March 27th for something or other to happen. 
Reading the Draft agreement  again I realise the new contract is to start on  January 1st 2013. 
Date for the museum to be restored to its rightful home is not  until January 1st 2014. 
Even then, it will not occupy the space designed for it. 
The recommendation is Report CAO12-019 be received for information;
And that staff be directed to finalize an agreement for the Provision of Cultural Services based on the attached draft agreement.
That upon completion, the agreement be presented in its final form for consideration by Council. 
We are two-thirds though October . In November, we start a schedule of budget meetings. 
The town hall closes on Christmas Eve.  It  does not re-open until after  day after New Year's Day.  
The draft agreement is not online. 
The community is not  informed of the proposal  or precisely how we reached  this point.
No opportunity has been provided for public  input.
In the next few weeks Council  will  "Take The Show On The Road" to three high schools to improve communication with the community. 
At each school, a presentation will be made about a teen centre and students will  be encouraged  to participate in  discussion. 
On another note, to reduce  a contemplated 8.1% increase in next year's budget, a staff report suggests  the planned  teen centre be delayed.  
I realise this post takes many twists and  turns.
It's just the  way the world  turns at the  Town Hall  of  Aurora. Circa 2010-2012