It's interesting.
I wasn't in the council chamber. I don't watch Council on Cable. Yet I knew Lsomething was missing from the news story about the "community" radio station.,
The report was tabled, declared to be a mistake and a decision made that bore no relationship to the substance of the report or the resolution that triggered it.
I followed the links Chris Watts provided in his post and tracked things back to the Mayor's resolution
giving direction to staff.
Despite the outrage, bitterness and abuse, no alternative explanation is offered.
The event does not reflect well on Council or the Mayor. Despite the hazy,lazy days of summer, It has generated substantial interest in the community.,
A resolution directed staff to report feasibility, a report submitted under the signatures of two directors, the Clerk's responsibility to compile the Agenda, the Mayor's responsibility to vet the Agenda, the second item of every Agenda calls for a motion and vote of Council to approve the agenda.
It's just that simple. No room for error.
If It's wrong show us how. Calling me names is not conducive to a different understanding.
Had the former CAO been at the table, the Mayor's dodge and weave might have been more skillful under guidance The report might not have made it's way to the table despite being directed.
But the cost of equipping a broadcasting studio would still be the same.Reserve funds legislated by Bylaw can't be tampered with so the only source of funding is an additional dip into taxpayers' pockets.
Over.
Posts
19 comments:
I watched the event unfold on TV and was shocked at the twist at the podium.
The Mayor tried desperately to avoid the $250,000 being mentioned in discussion.
It was like watching a movie of the week.
You cant script stuff like that mess.it just unfolds and that one fell apart on camera.
This was one for local history and the woops
file.
I don't under5stand why Cllr Thompson did not step in. Usually, if the CAO did not provide cover, Thompson would move to defer/refer. Maybe he wasn't there as quotes are only provided from 2 other councillors
Either it happened or it didn't.
According Mr Weir and Mr Watts. it happened.
I'm unsure as to why people are hurling insults at you, for calling out how outrageous, and "a little smelly" this radio station debacle is ..... the facts are the facts - it does not provide any value to the community, it will cost way more than anyone has even attempted to look in to, and it stinks of a "you pat my back, I'll pat yours" kinda deal ..... there are way more important things that need to be accomplished in Aurora, this is just an absolute embarrassment.
I think the heat must be getting to me. I am actually finding this funny. I await with bated/baited? breath the next instalment. What are they going to do about it ?
Can anyone tell me and us what was the purpose of this town owned radio station?
Surely there must have been at least one.
Are there towns of our size with their own radio stations? What are they? What do their radio stations provide?
08:48 You don't understand? Or you're unwilling to take the time to investigate in favor of bashing Clr. Thomson out of ignorance?
The meeting in question was recorded by Rogers and is available for viewing here: http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=69&sid=3186&gid=235855
The item regarding the radio station was discussed between 1:52:15 and 2:46:00
The Mayor's back peddling starts @ 2:02:20.
As for Clr. Thompson he weighs in multiple times starting @ 2:28:36.
The consensus is that a request for operating agreement/lease agreement on behalf of the corporation is totally warranted which begs the question why one wasn't advanced prior to wasting council's time with a delegation.
It is disappointing that this newly incorporated not for profit organization spent so much of its delegation profusing huge support from the community and announcing "directors" for a non-entity but couldn't be bothered to demonstrate capability and experience in the radio sector. Nor were they willing or able to extrapolate on timelines for going live and what they plan to offer, at what price and to whom.
For an initiative that has had multiple discussions over a year to spec out and has consumed staff time how can such a communications fail of a $250,000 ask on a council report happen, and then simply by waive of a hand become a $5,000 - $10.000 ask?
The town spent $25,000 to a professional consultant to tell them the Heritage Disneyland concept fully supported by Mayor Dawe had zero private interest and was unsustainable. The town has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to an arms-length organization to duplicate its own efforts of dispensing culture under the initial understadning it would become self-sustaining only to be then rescinded as a laughable notion. When Mayor Dawe says at this meeting that he didn't want this project to cost the town ANY money after the town spent $1,000 through an arts & culture grant and would then entertain providing them space as well as design control for crafting a 1/4 of a $million recording studio and radio station AFTER renovations to the family leisure complex were finished, AFTER the 2015 budget was finalized then he clearly doesn't believe what comes out of his mouth, and nor should we.
8:43
He did it once before. But the CAO was there at his elbow.
We are back into deer in the headlights time.
It's bated, 11:31...unless you've been chewing earthworms.
13:18 What is proposed is not "town owned"
An incorporated group calling themselves "The Voice of Aurora" has purchased a licence from the CRTC. They have successfully leaned on the town to erect an antenna on a town facility and instead of broadcasting from their own space they have pushed to get an unfinished 600 square foot space at the Family Leisure complex to run a radio station AND recording studio without any impact assessment as to how this will have on the rest of the facility, or how the space provides them with adequate sound proofing, separation of admin areas and other concerns outlined in a projected $220,000 renovation. I fail to see how this space is adequate to their needs or how they intend to provide back-up power generation to this space.
I too am curious about comparing what appears to be someone's 40 years late to the table brain-fart to other local stations , say 105.9 The Region or 102.7 Stoufville: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIWS-FM because I'm not convinced there is a huge demand for broadcasting old radio dramas from the 1950s as has been eluded to be a cornerstone of their format.
Who said it was Town owned.
The station has a board with a close friend of the Mayor on it.
Its an arms length nt-for-profit.
I was in chambers.
It blew up real good.
13:18- One of the reasons I believe is for emergency communications with residents. When we had the ice storm a couple of years back. There was only radio communication instructing, updating, and warnings were basically for Major cities like Toronto. That ice storm was a major wake up call to government to form emergency prepare plans.
15:31
Please see Christopher Watts article. That CRTC license would not allow what you are suggesting.
15:31- Thank you. I just did.
For those here that think the Communications group at the Town is out of date with what they have, radio must scare the the Hell out of you.
Radio as a technology is out of date. Who listens to radio anymore? Sure there are those Birkenstock wearers that still listen to CBC radio because they feel it defines who they are. But really, Radio!?!? I have one in my car, but I just stream through the Bluetooth from my smartphone to listen to Internet-based content. Radio, in the GTA, was in it's prime in the late 70's through late 80's. Radio is no longer an effective medium.
I read that it would be used as an emergency communications method. Let's think that through. 1. Emergency like the ice storm. Power is out. 2. Radio station needs redundant power - I assume they have a generator. 3. Unless someone still has a battery-powered transistor radio how do they expect to hear it?
Does common sense not exist any more?
Excuse me all to heck. But why doesn't this group RENT space in town and show us why any taxpayer money should be given to them ? It is just some dream-job for a guy from Bradford with no track record to show.
Where's the beef ?
7:54
Giggle, giggle,
No, common sense is in short supply around here
Dodge and weave by Fibber McGee!
Post a Comment