Occupational Hazards ...The field is full of pitfalls.

When I wrote the post on the plan to tax all property owners to provide support to  those
within a  "Community Improvement Plan"  , I received a comment.

"Aargh!  Enough already."

It typifies a political  hazard .

How many fights can one engage before  being tagged with  negativity,

It would be easier to go along to get along.

It would be simpler  to cast a negative vote and  say nothing that can be held against one.

Or  comment that sound like you're  leaning one way  and vote the opposite.

If there's no recorded vote, claim  the expedient  position  according to who you might be talking to
 any given moment.

They are  all  strategies   to confound   one's enemies and cover one's ass.

I'm not an artful dodger.   The risk is mine to take and I've never been able to avoid it.

There was a question about membership  on

the Economic Development  Advisory Committee.

Councillor Thompson is Chairman. I think he works for a pharmaceutical Company.I'm not sure of his responsibilities.

Councillor Abel is a member. He works at Westview Golf Course. That's how he knows so much about trees and  why they matter .

The Mayor is ex officio on all committees . He attends  EDC meetings regularly.
I believe he was  partner in a consultant business.

Councillor Pirri attends meetings as well.

Citizen members names should be listed on the web site. Not sure if  work background
is  also listed.

The Community Improvement Plan  on to-night's agenda went to the committee before it came to Council.

We had another million dollar spending  proposal on the agenda to-night,

The Sports Dome  was our  venture into public-private partnership. It is not a success story.

The Dome is erected over  a soccer field owned by the town. The Town bought it from the Legion.

The field was not taxable.

The agreement with the Dome owner  relieved him of  responsibility for all taxes.

On the basis there were none.

Turned out  commercial operation   on the land made it  taxable and the town has been paying through the nose since; $50,000  taxes to the Region and Board of Education.

It's a twenty year  agreement. At  the end the town will have forked out a cool million. But I think I heard to-night, we become the  proud owners of  whatever  is left standing or should I say floating.

Also heard to-night the accoutrement has a life of twenty -five years.

The main beneficiary of the agreement has been another business; Aurora Youth Soccer Club.

We are seven years into the agreement and out $350,000.

Staff were directed to review  with a view to  reversing  the original error.

The report suggests  an option of  the town purchasing the Dome at a  potential cost of $1.1 million.

The discussion calls for another post.