Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Various Degrees of Conundrum":
It sounds as though you have been marginalized in this report. I find it difficult to understand why the consultants did not just phone you with their questions. It is not as if you are off the rada
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 5 October 2013 20:15
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I had the opportunity to offer input to the study. Staff let me know when the consultants would be talking to Councillors. It was o be my call to make an appointment.
The Mayor was disappointed that I did not.
I didn't choose to . The consultants probably didn;t know I existed.
I didn't vote in favour of another consultant study.
When politicians want something said and don't want to be the ones to say it, ta consultant is retained, or a solicitor or whoever else they can pay to say it. It's a modern practise.Now that we are not a small town and have a $52 million budget.
Once , many years ao, we had an officer whose advice was always sound and honest. But he had a serious problem getting things done. He was well liked and valued for his strengths . But his weakness was a serious liability to the corporation.
A consultant was retained to discover the problem that we knew full well and recommend a solution.
He advised the position of Chief Administrative Officer would entail making sure things got done in a timely manner.
Recruitment was set in motion. Applications were received.
The person with the problem was appointed to the office with the necessary advance in salary and responsibility.
The story ending was not happy ever after.
Consultant reports can paper over a variety of problems.
With a willing buyer and a willing seller.
I am neither .
My input was unlikely to see the light of day . The clients would have found it unacceptable.
Like any other discordant notes and I'm sure there were some that didn't survive the final edit, it would not have fit the desired outcome
Council has now approved the content.
The final report will be written and presented in December.
To be used for reference henceforth to influence any and all decisions that need to be made.
Particularly at budget.
ReplyDeletePossibly the Executive Management Team can do something useful for a change.
It, in conjunction with its staff could prepare a questionnaire ranking a number of services from 1 to 10, or from poor to excellent. The draft questionnaire should then be run by councillors for additions, deletions
The questionnaire should also ask if the respondent knows the cost to the town for a given service and whether fees for services are too high or not high enough. After all, you get out what you put in.
The final questionnaire should be mailed out either with water bills or with property tax notices.
Emphasis should be made that "since this is your town, you should take the trouble to answer and return the questionnaire by the date specified."
But don't bother sending one to 26 Holman Cr., 11:54.
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