Neither fish, nor fowl. nor good red herring

It's  Friday night and twenty-five past nine.

I've   eaten , washed the dishes , had tea and shortbread and opened the agenda package Stephanie brought in  the house  when she came home from work.

A couple of nights  ago  she came in laughing with a thousand  piece jigsaw  puzzle in her hand.

"Grannie did you tell people  about the puzzle we did during the power outage"

Packaged and mailed, without a note or  card, To Stephanie C/O Evelyn Buck,  it was thoughtful and kind and  very well received.

Thank you. 

The agenda package is not so well- received. 

The operating budget is part of the package.  We will be working on it from 9.30 a.m. 

The Mayor has called a special  closed meeting for  nine o-clock to authorize staff direction
on a property matter.

There's another closed meeting to deal with another property matter at 6.00 p.m. next Tuesday.

Item 1  on Tuesday's  general committee meeting  there's a 107 page report related to a decision to be made  at the closed meeting to be  held at 6.00p.m. 

I haven't read the 107 page Report. But I  can share the recommendation  from the C.A.O.
that starts the report. 

That Report  CAO 14-001 be received and

That Report CAO 14-001 be forwarded to the February 4, 2014   General Committee meeting for consideration. together with the following  recommendations:

That Council receive  the attached "Hillary-McIntyre Park Cost Benefits  Study" completed by  Sierra Planning and  Management and Carl Bray and Associates: and

That, Staff be authorized to negotiate the terms of agreements of purchase and sale for  Horton 
Place ( 5342 Yonge Street). Readman House (16356 Yonge Street) and Hillary House 
(15372 Yonge Street) properties for Council approval; and

That, staff report back to Council pertaining to: a) the details of the process of developing a master plan for the properties that will guide the long term development and opeations of the three properties, and b) the outcome  of the negotiations o purchase the three properties and to obtain authority to execute any such agreements.

The report that follows this recommendation,as noted above. is 107 page long. 

It is the first item of a meeting that starts at 7.00p.m.

The closed meeting with the confidential attachment to  Report No. CAO 14-001   for Council 's attention , is scheduled for 6.00p.m.  An  hour earlier.

The  closed session agenda notes time of the meeting;  

After New Business Section of  the General Committee agenda . 

That would normally be after Council had actually received the report and discussed it. 

Now.... if the juxtaposition of times of meetings and decisions has you confused ...you are not alone. 

I am too. It feels like a hustle.  

But then,,, I am but a part-time Councillor with little status in the scheme of things. 

Nothing much is expected of  a Councillor and  they are paid accordingly. 

Save for cost of living, Council remuneration has not seen an adjustment since 2003.

The economy was said to be unable to support it. 

On the other hand, the Mayor's salary increased by Bylaw in December , by $9 thousand
and full benefits ..... about  forty per cent increase. 

The Mayor  has been provided  all  employee benefits.

Menial Councillors can enjoy the same benefits but only if  they pay  what it costs. 

I wasn't at the meeting  when the Bylaw was passed. I had a bad bout of bronchitis that deprived me of speech......a temporary affliction. 

The Bylaw  was  likely not called for discussion. 

It would pass unnoticed.

Why  am I writing about it now? 

It's 11pm.   It's been a full day. As it will  be tomorrow. 

My mind is  choc-a-bloc with millions  flowing unimpeded  from the town's treasury, based on expertise of  almost anyone except the town's elected representatives 

Save for one exception. The Mayor.