Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "You Can't Fake It on Television":
Maybe tomorrow you could tell us why Rogers quit at 9:30 ? I figured a closed meeting at the end of the session but had to allow the possibility that they were as bored as I was. It didn't seem enough time to deal with what was on the Agenda.
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I did not know Roger's stopped taping at 9.30 p.m.
We had a meeting before Council to discuss the acquisition of land for a post -secondary institute.
We recessed for Council at 7p.m.
We recessed from Council at 9.30 p.m. to go back behind closed doors to complete the discussion.
I'm fairly sure had I not been opposed to commitment to spend eleven million dollars , plus lots of other goodies, the discussion would have lasted a fraction of the time.
York University is desirous of establishing a medical school.
The information is already in the public domain.
The final decision rests in provincial hands because responsibility for post-secondary education is Provincial.
The information is in the public domain.
The Province owns two suitable parcels of land within our municipality.
The information is in the public domain.
Both parcels are non-contributory in our ledger for more than a decade.
I find the proposal our municipality should contemplate a multi-million dollar site for a provincial function to be contra-indicated.
Without the Hydro Asset Fund it would never be a consideration.
That we would gift the asset to a provincial institution is utterly preposterous.
Studies by various universities contend millions of dollars are contributed to a city economy by the existence of a university.
One wonders about the reason for the studies
Recently the town contemplated competing with development industry for designated land with service allocation for residential development for use as a community park.
The land was appraised. Value was established at $800,000 an acre. A purchase for town purpose meant forfeiting assessment income revenue and development charges revenue in the millions. From a corporate business perspective , a total liability.
In contrast , price contemplated for raw land as a site for a post-secondary campus is 25% higher.
Assessment income revenue and development charge revenue would also be forfeit.
Negotiations for a purchase of property is allowed by law to be discussed behind closed doors for obvious reasons,
Council did report out and recommended approval of a decision on Tuesday.
Substantial resources are committed to gifting land to an external institution without community awareness or opportunity for input.
I am but one of nine with authority to say, I do not believe the community's interest is served
Of course studies would show universities contribute millions. Just like the Heritage Park study showed what a gift it would be to the community if we purchased the 3 properties on Yonge. Risk will always be shown as minimal, and a win-win situation will be concluded because that’s what you pay the studies to conclude.
ReplyDeleteAll term we have heard about the need Not to rush into making judgements. Don't rush to use the Library lands for a multi-use building and badly needed parking. [ the Fab Lab might be coming ]. don't rush to use any of the land the town already possesses. ( Cllr Gallo claims that would tie the hands of future Councils ], don't rush to settle neighbourhood squabbles that escalate into turf wars.[ trees, cell towers & buses in driveways ].
ReplyDeleteBut, of course, at the end of term rush into every damn thing available.
I thought any use of the Hydro funds HAD to come up for public debate. Seems as though that little factor being ignored. We keep hearing about grandiose plans already in the works with a rushed dead-line.
ReplyDeleteThe dead-line appears to be the 17th. Hopefully from there the project will be in other hands and stop costing Aurora money just to get a bid onto the table.
ReplyDelete" Somewhere is York Region " covers a lot of territory. and is apparently the area from which these ' bids ', which could be called something quite else, will come. I would love to be reading them over for York.
ReplyDeleteThe " good news " is that York plans to decide around the middle of May. Hence no candidates will be able to run on the prospect or possibility of being involved with the project. It will be a reality or not.
ReplyDelete