As I Was Walking Down The Street

Yesterday I met a  young woman in Costco who grew up in Aurora and is now raising her family in East Gwillimbury.  I was in the line-up at the cash register. She spoke to my daughter Heather  and. asked  her to tell me how much she enjoyed watching Aurora Council on T.V.

 "You make good points" she said.

It was nice. Every politician  needs  re-assurance we still speak for the people who elected us and even some who don't live within our borders.

To be sure ,my family keeps me grounded  and the circle here, small as it is, keeps us in touch. You, know what I'm thinking and I hear back.

I also  receive  comments from  those who do not appreciate frankness but. take advantage of the opportunity I provide to let me know.

Here's a thing. .. just off the press .....An e-mail from  the Mayor's administrative assistant and two more  from the Mayor with the same message

An invitation for  a photo opportunity has been extended from Mr. Simanovskis, Director of Infrastructure and EnvironmentL Services and CAO Neil Garbe ...

Wait a  minute.....I have to go back and see how it's worded,

It is for a photo on the empty   site of the  future  Joint  Operations  Centre  with the Contractor, the Architects   The Director , the CAO and whoever else wants to attend.

That is verry verry interesting.

An invitation from staff  to celebrate a decision made by a bare majority of  Council to spend  $27 million of  your money on a garage and works yard.

An invitation from staff to Council.

Yesterday a question was posed  here about staff being accountable to Council.

I hadn't gotten around to answering it.

Maybe this juxtaposition does it for me.

In a matter of days,  registrations will close and all  will be candidates on An equal footing.

At least two candidates  are vying for the Mayor's office.

One supported the project. One didn't

Now staff  arrange a celebrity photo for themselves,the Contractor and the Architects and  invite others to attend. Maybe they will have bagpipes and dance a jig for the audience.

Is that political?  Or not?    If not what is the purpose?

What other reason  can there  possibly be for a photograph of an empty site and the main beneficiaries?

I've been in photos of a sod-turning. But this isn't that.

This is a photo of Director, Chief Administrative Officer,Contractor and Architects .
And whoever else may chance accep the invitation.

THE STAFF INVITATION.

The Mayor, wearing the Chain of Office will stand to one side as a guest of the Principals in the grand scheme of things .

As a coincidence , at this time in 2010 , the town was  informed of a lease signed with
the  Department of National  Defense for  Queen's York  Rangers  to take over the hydro building.

The  parks department had  previously been evicted despite a consultant study  of space needs indicating theMunicipality needed the building and the site.

The Chief  Administrator was commended on that occasion also for successful negotiation of the lease.

That  decision triggered the need for the new site for  the works department.

In  the election that followed ,weeks later, the incumbent Mayor and others were defeated.

After the defeat  an amendment was made to the lease  with the Mayor's signature but without Council approval.

Now here we are four years later almost  on the anniversary of that previous decision