FOLLOW THE MONEY

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A FLIGHT OF FANCY":

12:39

Did you ever think that as a process, the sunshine list should have the limit raised? We increase salaries but the threshold for the sunshine list has stayed the same. 

If you left it at $100k eventually all TPD will be on it. 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 18 March 2015 at 07:49

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This year the Fire Department apparently  won parity with the police department . In both negotiations, the parties are bound by compulsory arbitration. Arbitrators are not bound by anything at all. 

I heard the fire department won 6% increase in the recent settlement. It caused quite a stir. but not a whisper was heard.. Do not expect any reference from our doughty politicians. 

The  police  association and fire department  canvas candidates before municipal elections to determine their position on "Adequate" funds for protection. 

50% of service calls to the fire department are medical emergencies,a provincial responsibility.

 Oh yes, discussions do take place under the radar, at an administrative level ,about problems created by arbitration. But it's all very hush hush. 

Police and Firefighters are powerful forces in the electoral process. No politician in his right minds dare run afoul .

The sunshine list reflects only salaries. Benefits are worh probably a third more .Very generous. But never generous  enough.Every negotiation comes up with new ideas .

Teachers salaries are influenced and influence others. Nurses.and Librarians also keep a keen eye on settlements. Full-time staff are on the payroll to deal with negotiations. 

The Province has just appointed former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall to seek out the problem of the Toronto District School Board. The budget is never balanced. 

We regularly read or hear of cuts to services. Invariably, programs for students who need it most are first cut. 

The obvious is never spoken of.  The Province negotiates teacher salaries and benefits. They dictate board spending. After they award settlements to keep teachers happy , everything else has to be cut to meet the provincial 

allocation. 

The  High School Teachers Federation used to have  the most clout. The elementary system, where resources  were most needed, were starved out to keep high school teachers happy.

Local autonomy in education is long forgotten. the idea that

taxpayers have any say is a total fallacy. 

But who talks about it?

Not the local politicians that's for sure. 

Evelyn Buck

IT MADE ME LAUGH

*The Brothel*

TWO OLD GUYS DECIDE THEY ARE CLOSE TO THEIR LAST DAYS AND DECIDE TO HAVE A LAST NIGHT ON THE TOWN. AFTER A FEW DRINKS, ,THEY END UP AT THE LOCAL BROTHEL.

THE MADAM TAKES ONE LOOK AT THE TWO OLD GEEZERS AND WHISPERS TO HER MANAGER,'GO UP TO THE FIRST TWO BEDROOMS AND PUT AN INFLATED DOLL IN EACH BED.

THESE TWO ARE  SO OLD AND DRUNK; I'M NOT WASTING TWO OF MY GIRLS ONTHEM. THEY WONt KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.'

                             THE MANAGER DOES AS HE IS TOLD AND THE

TWO OLD MEN GO UPSTAIRS AND TAKE CAROF THEIR BUSINESS. AS THEY ARE WALKING HOME THE FIRST MAN SAYS, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY GIRL WAS DEAD!'

'DEAD?' SAYS HIS FRIEND, 'WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?' '

                              WELL, SHE NEVER MOVED OR MADE A SOUND ALL THE TIME I WAS
                              LOVING HER.."

                               HIS FRIEND SAYS, 'COULD BE WORSE, I THINK MINE WAS

  A WITCH." 

"'A WITCH??. . WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?'

'WELL, I WAS MAKING LOVE TO HER, KISSING HER ON THE NECK, AND I GAVE HER A LITTLE BITE, THEN SHE FARTED AND FLEW OUT THE WINDOw TOOK MY TEETH WITH HER!' 

A FLIGHT OF FANCY

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "MICHAEL SUDDARD FROM OTTAWA":

16:43
Why would anyone trust a blog site?
Blogs are one-sided brain-farts of mostly anonymous contributors. They may  not even be in the same Town.

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 17 March 2015 at 07:40

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Why indeed? 

It may be assumed those who deride blogs are the same who

do not fare well in the commentary.

Contributors may also be singing a different tune in a different circumstance.

The most severe critics may have an axe to grind and wish to do utmost harm.

Guest poster Michael Suddard does not  live in our town He used to and is sufficiently interested to keep in touch from Ottawa. I think that's a good thing. 

The information he provided was extremely relevant. How else would we  have learned the Region of Ottawa Carlton is managing  garbage streaming so much  better than we are with a local contractor of good reputation. 

We know plastic does not break down. What kind of a mind
thinks clear versus dark with small opaque plastic bags enclosed is better than no plastic? 

Yesterday in Toronto,a Green For Life truck  was shown in a video with  recyclable materials being tossed in with regular garbage. 

Oh Calamity!!

Mayor Tory was furious again. Not as furious as he declared himself to be over tardiness and budget over-runs of  subway obstruction. But furious nevertheless.

The  garbage collection was  clearly seen not going according to process. 

It  might cost someone his job. He may be replaced by someone of alacrity and ability of staying alert to the task of separating disgusting discard for eight hours at a stretch,possibly paid on a piece work basis and no doubt hugely respected for conscientious effort.

I wonder if women are demanding equal rights to work as garbage collectors?

 Does the province insist on  a percentage number of women and visible minorities be hired in that particular field of public service. Like firefighters and police services?

That's the beauty of blog land. 

We may go wherever a flight of fancy takes us. 

A RESPONSE

Michael Suddard's post is a reminder of the launch of three stream garbage collection. 

Miller Contracting  made a bid for the contract . They had been collecting the garbage for years. They operated the garden waste compost yard on Bloomington Road. We took our own stuff there and bought back the fresh finished compost. 

When the contract award was recommended to Council, Miller delegated and argued Turtle Island did not have  experience or  the equipment and manpower. 

Staff have responsibility to analyze the bid and check background for performance. 

Things started off well. Public buy-in was exceptional. The streets were left neat and tidy. 

Then ...collection failed  Meetings were held . New equipment was acquired and extra manpower.  I asked and was assured no change to the contract price. 

Then... Turtle Island was sold with the contract. 

The contract is  currently being re-negotiated . 

Since streaming began the northern six municipalities 

have  negotiated as a single unit. I'm not sure how that might have worked with one using a diferent process. 

I would like to give assurance Council receives best professional advice.Too often it appears more like enabling 

a nitwit political agenda with no place set for the municipal interest. 

MICHAEL SUDDARD FROM OTTAWA

Michael Suddard has left a new comment on your post "All politics are local": 

I still can't get my head around the whole bag issue Eveyln.  

I used to live in Aurora (a stones throw from you on Knowles) and disagreed with the logic. I posted a comment on Anna's blog stating that the whole safety issue that came up just didn't make any since. 

Since moving out of Aurora & Richmond Hill to Ottawa, I've noted who picks up our garbage. Richmond Hill & Ottawa: Miller Waste. These same guys who used to pick up Aurora's garbage for the longest time.

So am is my Ottawa Miller Waste garbage hauler in more danger than Markham or Aurora's ? Doubt it!  

The fuzzy logic behind it all seems scant at best. Besides Markham, what other place has clear plastic bags? Anyone else in southern Ontario?

The same requirement with using compostable bags in the green bin. I was surprised Ottawa's didn't accept anything the Region of York had approved on their website.  

Ottawa doesn't allow plastic bags and not even compostable plastic bags(which is it's own issue unto itself) but encourages paper bags be used or newspaper.  

I tweeted the Region of York to see if they would accept compost wrapped in newspaper (complete with Ottawa's YouTube Video on making a paper bag cone shape that fits in your kitchen bin) and received a reply in the affirmative, yet it's still not listed as an option on their website: http://www.york.ca/wps/portal/yorkhome/environment/yr/garbageandrecycling/compostgreenbin/!ut/p/a1/jZDLTsMwEEW_pYssiSfuI4adFR5OSkiREE2zQU5wHUuJHTmGCL4eU7FBPNrZzejcmXsHVahEleavSnKnjObdZ1-tnlJ6kzK2hqxYkAQoFDTDMYGr5dwDOw_AH0XhmD474QC2eZJLVA3ctWdK7w0qJbc1l4LrZyuat6ZTWqKyMf1gRietELpWGm1RddiO8WLFogQyiOJzSK_vkof7HGN4hB8AK4gH4s3ykrAI1vgL-CefDyA7Ux9-taO6nhPv1Iq9sMKGL9aPW-eG8SKAAKZpCqUxshNhwwP4TdH6AKj8BqKhL99vGahNvyUjnc0-AGtZcCM!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/#.VQcHTY7F-i8 

If we are looking to improve anything municipally, let's look at what other municipalities are doing with the pros and cons equally weighed.  

There's lots of best practices out there that Ontario municipalities have tried, tested and kept that would improve Aurora and probably save some $$$ Let's take a look to see what others are doing before coming up with cockamamie schemes.  



Posted by Michael Suddard to  Our Town and Its Business at 16 March 2015 at 11:42

A Thoughtful Inquiry

Recently a  good friend asked if I had any regrets about having children. The question was unexpected, my initial response was brief. When she persisted I realized  a more fulsome reply was being sought. 

I've never thought of life in those terms. When I became pregnant the first time  I  declared impulsively,I wanted to be the mother of five sons. But I didn't actually plan the size or make-up of my family. Who has that power?

 

It seems to me I reached out and embraced life as it came to meet me. I seized the day. 

In the same week of the conversation with my friend,Charlie Rose had Brian Dennehy and Nathan Lane as guests on his show. They brought Eugene O'Neill's play, The Ice Man Cometh,from the  Bronx to Broadway. 

They talked a lot about Eugene O'Neill, his work and theirs.

O'Neill is a giant among playwrights. It's said he is third behind Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw for plays translated and produced all over the world. 

He had three children. Two sons committed suicide and he severed contact with  daughter Oona when she married Charlie Chaplin. He was fifty-four and she was eighteen.

Oona was two when her parents divorced and never saw much of her father. She had eight children, seventeen grandchildren  and never divorced. 

Brian Dennehy told Charlie Rose as O'Neill lay dying he talked about the illusion of life and how meaningless.

Evelyn Buck

All politics are local

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "With A Clear View":

That delegate did have a product to sell. His company had brought the clear bags to Markham & another town [ can't recall which one ]. He was the one who claimed it was effective but seemed unsure about how it could be proven.

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 14 March 2015 at 11:16

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The only reason the clear bag initiative is not going forward

Is community involvement. It gives me great comfort. 

It's the fourth initiative to be stopped in it's tracks. 

First was the crazy heritage theme park. Second the South- east heritage neighbourhood. Third the cockamamie treatment facility for melting snow. Now the clear bag garbage initiative. 

I thought of another little facet of the snow melt treatment fiasco. The last and final argument offered brought a regional rep to delegate to Council and tell us the snow dump was on the wellhead protection area. 

It wasn't always. In fact it had only been moved there when the town sold the Jack Woods property .

The community gardens was there. When it was sold a new site was needed for the gardens. The snow dump was  moved to accommodate the gardens. 

Then it was decided a treatment facility, original estimate $750,000. was needed to treat the snow melt to remove non-existent salt. 

Councillors do get  e-mails from suppliers to promote this and that. No doubt the Mayor's office and the IES Director and the CAO  get more.

Who knows how many luncheon interviews take place to promote the product before it gets to a Council table?

It's that last aspect we need to be concerned about. 

The Mayor claims the clear bag initiative for himself. But as I recall, that's not how it came to the table. The  IES Director tabled a report.We may take it from the Mayor's  claim, by direction from the Mayor.

The last Council adopted a Code of Conduct. It states staff  take direction only through  a resolution of Council. No Council member has authority to direct a staff member, including the Mayor.

When I write about process, I know I have only half an audience. But if I keep doing  it, at some point, the importance of process will be understood. It's not really that complicated. Watching Council in action will become a spectator sport. The dodges will be easily recognizable as will the inept players. 

In the last term, Dawe,Abel and Thompson were the three wise men. Pirri and Humphrey's were most likely to tag along.

This term the unholy trinity continued  to hold. Until the clear bag initiative. 

Three active blogs are being posted. Chris Watts, Anna Lozyk 

Romeo and my own. 

Anna is an engineer  with serious concerns for  the environment and heritage and a growing interest in town politics. Anna attends Council meetings. 

Chris Watts is a tiger, second to none,on communications and heritage issues and whatever else strikes him as ludicrous.

Chris takes no prisoners. 

I myself live and breathe the straight and narrow  of town affairs. 

We have three new Councillors yet to show their mettle . 

And the community has discovered they can make a difference and there's a  powerful need to do so. 

All politics are local.

Evelyn Buck

With A Clear View

The final debate on clear bagged garbage was telling. The Mayor revealed he initiated the project.

I did not know that. 

The initial report was presented by IES Director Ilmar  Simanovskis. Later a consultant delegated to Council and made a presentation with details.

The question of enforcement arose in the discussion that followed. I asked how and he said  bylaw officers would issue tickets for non-compliance.

I envisioned bylaw officers following garbage collectors,
examining garbage, writing tickets describing  the nature of non-compliance and  reaction of residents in receipt of said tickets  attached to uncollected garbage denoting penalty for non-compliance. 

Any support for the project evaporated immediately. 

But questions remained:

Where did this proposal come from? 

How did it get this far?  

Who was that delegate? Did he have a product to sell?

Had the town retained him to add to staff arguments?

The chain of events seemed to give that indication. 

At no time was it clear the initiative had come from the Mayor.

Yet it does look like the entire exercise  was intended to
bypass the authority of Council by the Mayor and cohorts.

Directors have authority to spend a specific amount without Council approval on an emergency basis. At least, that's how it used to be. 

In the last term, the CAO's authority to spend was recommended to be increased to $300, 000. Council
approved an increase to $200,000.

In hindsight, it appears funds expended were: Not in a budget. Not in a business plan. Not in a strategic plan  And without Council authority. 

But solely on the "initiative "of the Mayor with support from staff.

Councillor Abel, always in tandem with the Mayor, argues the  program does not cost more and  though he knows residents are opposed, they only need to be "educated " 

He and one other Councillor accompanied the Mayor to Markham to view the program at work. I don't know if anyone else was in on the plan 

In effect, a consultant was retained , staff  and select Councillors were involved,  the decision-making process was stretched over two Councils and in the end nothing was accomplished. 

Zilch, Zero, Nada, Negative,Nil. 

Time and resources were exoended. The town's interest was not served. 

The initiative for a heritage theme park traveled in much the same direction. 

A list of prominent citizens headed by the Mayor, attached  names to a petition of support. A "special project planner" in the CAO's office was assigned to study the idea and write  an extensive report on the plan .All positive. 

Council had made a decision. The  proponent was advised to obtain a business plan financed with private resources. 

That decision was sidestepped when Councilor Abel enabled the proponent to make a second pitch to the Heritage Advisory Committee of which he was Chair,  HAC recommended  the Director of Recreational Services carry out a feasibility study and that morphed into a $25,000 consultant study which advised no benefit would accrue to the municipality. 

Even after all that and a negative vote cast the Mayor still declared, In his view, it was a good idea. 

Since it was his idea from the start and he had fellow travelers which seemed to be the case ,he would certainly have to say something  like that. 

Evelyn Buck

See-saw... Marjory- daw

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Guest Query": 

Evelyn, land purchases always closed session items? Standard practice or Hallmark is a special case.

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 12 March 2015 at 00:08
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Property negotiations are allowed to be conducted in closed session in the municipalities interest. 

Deciding how far to go with an offer or acceptance when directing a third party is not useful when trumpeted abroad. 

When a public agency requires a property, it is not wise to blab. A vendor is naturally likely to up his price if he knows the property is needed.

The Separate School Board assembled several properties for St Max High School site without anyone being aware. Some had noses out of joint about that and there were consequences. 

Town activities when contemplating purchases to develop a Heritage Theme Park was unlike anything ever seen before. Sending an official out to inquire of owners about interest in selling and at what price for the purpose of a university campus was equally bizarre.

The Municipal Act defines authority granted to municipalities by the Province. 

Speculating in land is not one. Leasing a property for thirty years to act as landlords would also be frowned upon. 

A property redundant to town use, it is required to be sold but not before notifying all and sundry  and providing equal opportunity to acquire the property in an open bidding process.

An uninformed Council is generally informed by competent staff.

For the life of me I see no merit in reporting out in public that Council approve a decision made in a closed meeting while keeping the decision secret.

It is tantamount to saying; we did something or we didn't but you can't know what...now and maybe never.

It's a definition a la Dawe and Abel of open and transparent. 

If meaning escapes you, do not blame yourself. You are not stupid. 

I understand the Hallmark Card property is seventeen acres of level land with frontage, access and egress on two industrial roads, a massive warehouse building with offices and paved parking and landscaping.

It was on the market when Council was faced with $26 million in costs to create a level site for the joint facility situated on a hazardous curve on a busy industrial bypass road.

I heard an offer of $11 million was accepted for the Hallmark property.

It seems the deal did not go through.

It appears Council may have been or is now contemplating the purchase while giving no indication of a purpose. The joint facility has been under way for months without supervision.

Nothing we have seen or heard of plans or needs gives an inkling of the new purpose. 

By the way, word is Horton House has been sold. I hear an application for a demolition permit has been made. 

Also, it seems the smelly old shed on the north-east corner of the town park will possibly be used to store museum artifacts. Original idea was apparently an indoor farmers market. But nobody thought to ask the Market people if they would be willing to pay. That was before it was revealed the site is contaminated.

Guest Query

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Once, Twice, Three Times a Changeling": 


This is a quote from the Agenda for the Council meeting that was held yesterday, March 10, 2015:

"2. A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the  
Town or Local Board; Re: PR15-007 - Purchase of Lands at 100 
Vandorf Sideroad, Formerly Hallmarks Cards

That Closed Session Report No. PR15-007 be received; and

That the confidential recommendations of General Committee on  
March 3, 2015 regarding the Purchase of Lands at 100 Vandorf
Sideroad, Formerly Hallmark Cards, be approved."

If this closed session concluded that the town should purchase the above property, which includes up to 215,000 square feet on nearly 20 acres, in large part immediately to the north of an existing premium condominium complex containing 30 homes and also of Timberlane Athletic Club, would it be the intention of the town to construct multi-level condominiums? This would take the pressure off the ignorant proposal for Timberlane that suggests 68 condo units.

At one time the Hallmark property had been suggested as a local university, until clearer heads prevailed, but not until a joint Aurora-Newmarket plan for one was tossed by York University, as being too much in the country for its tastes.

Quite candidly I would like to know what has brought this property back for discussion and consideration by members of Council? At one time the asking price was close to $20 million but that might have come down as the building is virtually empty.

Can members around the table please explain to the tax-paying public just what the hell is going on, unless this was a matter to throw the subject out with the clear garbage bags? 



Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 11 March 2015 at 19:40

Once, Twice, Three Times a Changeling

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "2014.Taxes were Increased. Services were reduced. ...": 

There was a noticeable decline this winter. In previous years we had a young driver handle the big Freightliner with heavy plow and wing like it was a volkswagen. He was up and down and by the time I could get a few streets over with the dog he was just finishing this street and moving on to the next. He could make the big Freightliner dance.

You can't help but notice the drivers in our area do not yet have the experience to handle the big trucks. They are late and have been struggling.  

As for calling the town to ask if there is an explanation for the delay (trucks break down, drivers get sick etc)there is only a programmed response referencing service standards from the CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS.

I hope one of our elected members will call the director of the engineering dept. to account - in very clear and concise language.
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I read it again. The story about cutbacks to winter maintenance to reduce taxes.  Once,twice, three times for enlightenment. Logic was as elusive as  tax savings.

As the story  grew so did the complexity.  After Councillors, it was the turn of staff to shoot down
Councillor Mrakas motion  that winter maintenance should be returned to previous standards.(2013)

Mr. Simanovskis said the standards had not been met for ten years. That's as long as  he has been in town employ. Despite the statement the standards had not been met,  returning to unmet standards would mean three new positions would be needed.he said.

If that's not sufficient contradiction, the matter of annual business plans and key performance indicators enter the picture. . Every year at budget. Council are subjected to a presentation by each department head  of business plans to support the budget being presented. It's mind-numbing stuff which  I have always thought was designed  for that purpose.

Now we have it direct from the horse's mouth, standards cited in the business plan were meaningless and had been  for ten years.  2014  standards were not reduced. They were simply a reflection of the way it was.

If true, why did Councillors each and every one, except the Mayor, argue reduced standards reflect reduced costs.

In 2013  a consultant  studied service levels. High levels were offered to explain comparative high taxation .

To cap that we  learn  from Town Solicitor Warren Mar high winter maintenance standards, unmet, render the town liable for claims. 

Mr.  Mar is quoted as advising Council  "the municipality's insurance counsel voiced a concern that
Aurora's standards were above the minimum and the increased  level would be the standard they
would be held to in court for these cases."

What cases?
What "insurance counsel"
Where did that come from?

Do we now have insurance counsel studying town insurance coverage?

Is he/she searching for the clause that enabled  close to a million dollars to be spent against the town's insurance coverage to defend the indefensible?

When and  where  was that decided?

2014.Taxes were Increased. Services were reduced. Who knew?

Yesterday  I noticed dust and paper collections and mirrors  and glass with baby handprints. It's not all tidied yet but the urge was greater than writing . No comments came in through the day. I suspect everybody had similar inclination To-day the urge is to go out.but several items  pend..

The Auroran has a story about snow plowing  spread over two pages. Councillors Mrakas and Humphreys reported complaints from residents  and moved a motion to restore service to what it had been .

Apparently a decision was made in  2014  to reduce  the service back to keep taxes from rising.

But taxes rose. 

Councillor Pirri had  a bit to say about the difficult decision  made by the last Council  to reduce service levels to save taxes..

Councillor Abel said it was not just a monetary factor but environmental. Less salt and sand is being used. . He said part of the problem may be when people see snow  they expect tosee plows on secondary roads right away.

Imagine that.

I missed a couple of budget meetings last year. But I recall hearing or reading nothing at all about reducing winter maintenance to keep taxes down.

It was an extraordinarily miserable winter. Ice storms. Power outages. Federal grants not applied for until well after the deadline.

I could have sworn taxes were increased last year. If they weren't it would have been a first for  that lot.

We certainly increased  funding to buy culture. Mayor Dawe and Counillor Abel both serve on the board.  Obviously they were not successful in persuading the CCB to reduce their level of service.Of course we can not know if they even tried.

This  year  an additional position is coming on board at CC  .Though they  have less space and no responsibility for heritage programming.

Last year, According to the Mayor, was not the time to talk about  the grant to the  Historical Society  now that they no longer have resonsibility for the Museum or the Collection and cost  shifted to the municipality.

Councillor Pirri did not find difficulty with that decision, .

Mr. Simanovskis is quoted advising Council three new positions would need to be brought on board to bring the town's winter maintenance back to the "old" standards. Were they eliminated in 2014?

There's more of the story..Pages 1 and 6

For the life of me,I have no recollection of the Mayor's statement on the budget that services had been cut to lower  tax increases in 2014.

Probably because it did not happen.
.

My Apologies

My Ipad has decided to weird out on me. Even Stephanie can"t figure out how to bring it back into line.

I am  re-orienting myself to the computer for Blog posts. My inclination is to stay in my big comfy chair and use the Ipad.

The finished product looks fine when I finish it. Then it comes out with the print as you saw it.

I just  re-wrote  it on the computer but it will not budge from  the tiny lettering here and there.

I will steer clear of the Ipad from now on.

It's Stupidity you have to Worry About...Not Corruption

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Pomp and Circumstance": 

Since the Town of Aurora is great at providing such sweet deals to groups like the Rangers and the CC. How about some sharing with private businesses.

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 6 March 2015 at 11:12

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Development charges are set by Bylaw . Come to think of it I do not recall an exemption to the bylaw being passed by concil to allow an exemption from fees for St.Andrew's College.
. 
 The College is private business.  The fee   is supposed to be deferred  until the property sold. What a bunch of bafflegab that was.  I 'd be surprised if the agreement is registered against title of the property.

I noticed recently  the Salvation Army  will also be exempted.It means Aurora taxpayers  will make a  charitable donation  to the value of tens  of thousands of dollars to the Sally Ann

On the other hand,during the Mormac administration  the Separate School Board  had to pay development   levies  for a permit to construct St Maximilian Kolbe High School.

 No other  municipality in the Region does that. The board gets its revenue from taxpayers In effect, Aurora taxpayers were paying  the town a development levy  to build a school to serve the taxpayers within the municipality.

The  town  guessed the value of the property and  charges were calculated accordingly. 

The Board appealed  the figure to the OMB and won the appeal .

The town had to refund thousands of dollars plus pay  legal fees to fight the appeal.

Nothing was accomplished in the interest of the  town'.. A goodly portion of the.levy was swallowed up in 
utter stupidity of the exercise. The motive ? I would say,  empowerment  referred to in a comment.

The  administration were well aware of  all that when St. Andrew's asked for a waiverof the fee . It was their job to advise Council of precedents and implications of disregarding town.legislation.

They never did.  The decision was  enabled by staff.

Of  course  it  might have made no difference. They  are such a bunch of no-mind suck-ups. Logic has no place in their scheme of things.

Integrity  and equity are merely  old-fashioned concepts. .

The obvious question is why they do stuff like that?  It  would be reasonable to be suspicious. . 

  But no ...what you have here are people with no sense of politics' People who believe  being  elected  is   about empowerment.

 It is not about keeping faith with the people who elected them. .

As the saying  goes:

It's not corruption you have to worry about. It's stupidity.

Pray Tell What You Know

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Pomp and Circumstance": 

"The information I received may be right and the fight is not to make people aware of their glorious history as it is for current survival. The Federal Government is said to be planning to shut them down."

I really wish you would stop posting conjecture about what you have been told the Federal Government is going to do. If anything the reserves are being re-inforced.  

As a private individual, you should verify your sources. 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 6 March 2015 at 12:17

**************************

As a private individual I can make all the wild and wooly conjecture I please .

As long as I do not claim them to be facts they are open to correction.

We know the federal government's operates military bases. We have been told on this blog that  when
Reserves are called to action they afe required  to go to a military base for training to deal with those infernal devices the unknown and unidentifiable enemy hve hidden in the sand for the purpose of blowing to pieces  unwary Canadian  soldiers to smithereens.

I do pay attention to what I hear from all sides. The blog is open to informed comment.

So please,if you know something I don't about how the federal government is organising resources for best result . ..pray tell. Don't tease.

Pomp and Circumstance

I 'm looking at a picture on page 7 of  this week's Auroran .

Lieutenanant Governor Dorothy Dowdeswell  is receiving a 200 year old sword at a ceremony in Fort York Armouries in Toronto.

The lady is wearing a uniform she was coerced into having made for her. No matter  how well -meaning and how privileged she feels in her association with the Rangers, it was a mistake to allow herself to be so coerced.

Former Councillor, now MLA Ballard was at the ceremony along with several members of the local cadet corp.

Brock Weir wrote a full account of the ceremony and the speech.

 Queen 's York Rangers have never indulged in so much promotion.

The  information I received may be right and the fight is not to make people aware of their glorious history as it is for  current survival. The Federal Government is said to be planning to shut them down.

The Town of Aurora has  certainly made its contribution .  $10 million property handed to them with a thirty year lease that includes  town maintenance of the property.

It looks as good on Aurora as the uniform looks on the little round bundled up ,beret wearing  figure of Lieutenant Governor Dorothy Dowdeswell.

Don't Ask. I Will Tell Anyway.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Ties That Do Not Bind": 

It must feel fantabulous to be yourself once again. 


Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 5 March 2015 at 
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I am the person I always was.

All that's changed is  I am an unelected candidate with substantial support.

Almost as much as the last person elected.

Who has the exactly the same right as any  at the table.

He has  only one vote  more than the rest of us.

And no more right to expound on a point of view.

But constrained by a set of rules designed to maintain order in debate and often abused to obtain another result.

There are three new Councillors at the table. They need to be  guided and encouraged  to
exercise  their  own judgement.

I don't believe they will get that from anyone at the table.

I believe  the contrary is true.

They don't have to listen to what I have to say.

What  the heck,I've never let that stop me .

Yes ,I do enjoy being me and living where and when I do.

Thank you for asking.

Ties That Do Not Bind

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Cold Hard Unforgiving Inexcusable Facts of the Mat...": 

18:18
Your fawning over both is all that their egos need

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 5 March 2015 at 10:53

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I need little encouragement to keep writing  on town affairs. I've been doing it for a long time. Thank you 18.18 for letting me know it's helpful. There wouldn't be much point otherwise.

It's not the same as when I was a Councillor. Certain obligations are no more

I am longer required  to protect the interest of the municipality and maintain confidentialit of matters discussed behind closed doors.

I am not  privy to matters of confidentiality but  I am still bound not to  reveal confidence  to which I was privy.

I am no longer bound to put forward my view of things with utmost respect for the views of others.
If I hear or read something entirely lacking in logic I may make  my observations  with few holds
barred.

If I believe taxpayer's interest  is not served, trust is betrayed, expenditues made with shameful disregard for anything but political  pandering,  I am free to say so without a scintilla of decorum.

Of course my role  is different now. No working relationship needs to be maintained. No debts are outstanding,. No compulsion to be anything but accurate in my perspective . I can be frank and free without fear or favour

The veneer is stripped. The gloves are off. A fertile field stretches out before me ready for planting.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah ! Hallelujah!

Cold Hard Unforgiving Inexcusable Facts of the Matter

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""The Mouse That Roared"":
The discussion had been about the missing penalty clause and Evelyn was correct. Council did have to pass a motion to include it in all future contracts. It had not been requited before and was largely responsible for the town paying so much for the Leisure Complex modifications. 
Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 2 March 2015 at 15:38
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It is not accurate that  lack of a penalty clause was the reason the AFLC project  cost  zoomed above the contract price and  completion was five months late.

I don't believe Councillor Mrakas motion was intended  to obscure the facts.  It was hardly his job to  explain how things went wrong.New Councillors are being managed. It will take a little while for them to recognize it.

Penalty clauses are like window dressing. They make the product  look good.but have no value in themselves.

The AFLC renovation and addition  was  five months late in completion and  exceeded  the contract price by  $1.650 million. An absent penalty clause was not the problem. 

The town has a legal department with two competent lawyers who have not been afraid to provide
straightforward professional advice to Council.

They were not retained by the Mormac regime to enable whatever political exigencies were presented to them .  Town Solicitor Warren Mar has not been quoted on any aspect of a penalty clause. That"s anabsence to be noted.

 The contract price escalated because  plans  for a structural component failed to be  included in   specifications and had to be added after the contract was awarded.

Considering  strict legality of  the award process for public contracts,the  failure wouldnot be to the town's advantage in any dispute over liability. A million dollar oversight does not qualify as a minor
change order.

Mr Simanovskis  has noted lin a public meeting, staff had no idea how much time was needed to
supervise  the project. It follows  the right amount was not expended.

For the Joint Facility  he recommended as an afterthought  and received approval to hire a. project  manager  to supervise construction .ALREADY. UNDERWAY  since July 29th 2014.

 SEVEN MONTHS AGO?

Even if  the AFLC project  had finished on time, both projects would have overlapped  and plans were for supervision  by staff  already working  at  full-time functions.

Even if that  was practical, what does a Directorof Environment and Public Works Infrastructure and
the Manager of Facility  Maintenance know of  particular features of a multiple recreational facility

Oh Dear Me No!!! The  failure  had nothing to do with lack of a penalty clause.

Everything to do with stupidity. ignorance. lack of due diligence and plenty of blame to share.

If ever Council needed an in -camera meeting to dig beyond the surface for  answers this was such an occasion

At least they might have been able to provide a logical  explanation instead of  the faulty  logic of errors and omissions in a legal contract.

"The Mouse That Roared"

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Is English Our First Language ?": 
18:12

Come on - give her a break. She was a Reeve, Councillor and Mayor.  

They fact she does not know what encumbrance accounting is - something municipalities do - is not important either

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 2 March 2015 at 09:19

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I am Queen of my castle.  V.P. of communications for The  Good Ship Lollypop.

I was also Deputy Mayor of Aurora for a bit. Then as now, the Procedure Bylaw had to be passed before any other business of a new Coincil. An  alternate had to be named to sign cheques and agreements and read the Riot Act if  the Mayor was absent.The title of Deputy was used in the Bylaw. Not otherwise.

The town operated a police department. In the absence of  real criminality, the Chief's pre-occupation was "The Mafia " and public morality.

A chain of dry-cleaners opened a branch in the shopping centre. The Chief  suspected  it was really a money-laundering operation. 

On one occasion, he decided  a  movie at the George Theatre was  pornographic. " Box Car Bertha'' was the title. The chief ordered it shut down.The  Riot Act did not have to be called to deal with 
public outrage .The theatre complied and anyway, it was in the Northern Town of  Nefarious Newmarket.

If anything seamy happened the blame was assigned to the denizens of that community.

Aurora was a righteous and severe Scottish  Presbyterian town. Newmarket was an Irish Catholic
community with all known and  recognizable traits and a few more besides.o

Come to think of it, I'm  not sure Aurora's chief had any power in Newmarket..Maybe their Chief  let him assume the Mantle of Authority considering the seriousness of the matter.Anyway it's all  in the Annals of History  if anyone at all has been  paying attention.

The  Regional Police Department  is forty-four years old now. In Aurora a person struts about
with the  title of Deputy- Mayor.

The Prime Minister of Canada  dropped into York Region Police Central Command in Aurora to alert the community to terrorist risks.

Canada's  world-wide reputation of  peace-keepers and mediators.is abandoned in favour of tough
guys intent on whipping bad guy Russian President Vladimir Putin into submission.