SILLY BILLIES

The  Mayor and several members of last term's economic development  advisory committee were quite excited when the current hospital CAO was appointed.  He had ideas for all kind of possibilities for development of research facilities and medical manufacturers in towns in the halo of Southlake Health Facility. 

A university would have  been icing on the cake. Remember that kefaffle.They planned to gift $11 million to York University. 

I am not sure CAO credentials as manager of a large hospital qualified him to speak  about economic development but it certainly got the minions all fired up.

The last attempt to get a decision on the redundant municipal buildings on Victoria Street was set aside once againon a motion by Councillor Thompson who was always quick on the draw to defer.

Three hundred thousand  had already been spent fixing the old library up to accommodate 

staff for transition while a multi million dollar renovation was done on the town hall.

Construction in the old library was done without Council knowledge or authority. Can't say what the Mayor knew. 

After the CAO  obtained authority on his own recommendation to spend  $ 200,000. without council or the public knowing what he was doing. He actually recommended $300,000 but that didn't fly. Councillor Thompson moved it be reduced.  

The incubator thingy  in the old library the  committee was so keen on never came to be and $300,000 was spent on the old library  before the town hall renovation project  was cancelled. 

It seems the CAO was still learning on the job and not doing too well. 

Estimates for Designs under authority of the Chief Building Official exceeded the budget approved by Council. The contract was cancelled  before the report reached  Council.

I inquired a few times which business had been persuaded to stay or grow In the town since we had a two person department (a manager on the sunshine list) bearing the title of Retention And Expansion. 

The name was changed after the second enquiry when the Mayor would not direct the question to the director responsible. 

A story in The  Auroran last week touched on the question again. 

Don Constable asked at a meeting of the committee   "what did the town do to persuade Magna to stay?"

It seems the question generated a bit of a flurry but no answer. 

The Mayor made feeble reference to a conversation a while ago. The facility was no longer adequate for Magna's purposes and the lease they had with themselves was up for renewal. 

According to the press report The Manager of Economic Development had nothing useful to contribute to the discussion.  

An application for residential development  can be expected as soon as they can whip one up. 

They won't build it. They'll sell it.