"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 7 March 2012

When Is An Agreement NOt An Agreement?When It Gives Away The Store

Former Councillor Bill Hogg will host Perspectives to night for Rogers Cable T.V.

Mat Maddock and Chris Watts will be guests. Along with Councillor John Abel whose motion was neutered on Tuesday night by an amendment which was not an amendment, by Councillors Humphryes and Thomspson and put to a vote by Mayor Dawe

The issue was  the Town's agreement with the Culture Centre Board who are, by virtue of a highly deficient agreement, in possession of the Town's newly renovated Heritage facility; Church Street School.

Since the Town Solicitor presented his report on the shortcomings and deficiencies of the agreement,various bits of flotsam and jetsam continue to dribble over the sides of the crock.

The  report noted the town had no solicitor on staff at the time and a law clerk was involved in drafting the agreement on the town's behalf.

We all know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars were expended on legal fees during the last term of Council and continued thereafter and produced absolutely nothing of benefit to the community.

Even until now.

We know the town appoints a roster of legal firms to use when specialised expertise is required.

Not having a solicitor in the town's employ at the time the agreement was drafted and signed, was not a reason not to have  necessary legal services  involved.

Last Tuesday, the Mayor confirmed the Board had a solicitor and  fees were paid by the town. I have seen a figure of $8,000 for that item at the outset.

Last week, a board member circulated an e-mail notifying all and sundry, the board had received advice that all was in order, from their legal adviser who was a former Councillor.

Last Tuesday,the former Councillor who was a lawyer,  whose name had never appeared anywhere in connection with the Culture Centre or the agreement, was in the front row of the spectators bench, looking grim with arms folded and flanked by members of the board.

I thought,  "Maybe he's a patron of the arts.

He, was not introduced as the board's legal advisor.

But later it seemed likely under the circumstances.

Still  his role was not clear.

So, this morning it seemed the question needed to be answered.

The Town did indeed  pay the board's fee of $8,000., for the  drafting of  the agreement.   While  the town itself had no solicitor  to act on our own behalf.

The solicitor for the Board was Damir Vrancic, the  former Councillor.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

What time? I will PVR it. I have insomnia so I may play it back at 1am.

Anonymous said...

No wonder the man was looking grim. That agreement is just the same as Morris' Defamation Lawsuit, riddled with problems, and he has had to listen to it being shredded. At least the Morris lawyers were able to beat a retreat back to Toronto. If, and I'm not sure about the 'sole', part, he is at least one of the lawyers who drew that thing up, he has a reason to look grim.
But, Man, you should be careful never to pee inside your own tent.

Anonymous said...

Let's get this right. The board of the ACC received advice from their legal advisor who was a former Councillor that all was in order.[ that would be Damir? ]
He said this about an agreement drafted or at least put into legalese by the board's original lawyer. [ And that would be Damir? ]
Well, of course, he thought it was all in order.
I think Mr V. is wishing he had asked someone for a second opinion.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever heard a single supporter of the ACC, with the exception of Councillor Ballard, refer to the Mar Report? It is truly weird watching a rabid mob of ill-informed people ignore the enormous elephant in the Town Hall. All they wanted was a crack at the mic to tout their own greatness and make sarcastic remarks about the taxpayers of Aurora whose largesse has allowed them to flourish like weeds. Makes one long for the gardening shears but we are all too damn polite.

Anonymous said...

OMG! I just saw a herd of ACC lemmings go past ! I think they might have found a cliff!

Anonymous said...

What do you mean the Town had no legal representation, surely there was someone in command at the highest level who could have waved the flag over such a badly flawed and financially detrimental agreement, We dont buy it Councillor someone at the top had to know what this thing was all about

Anonymous said...

Taking the Devil's Advocate here. Is it possible Damir V was set up to take the hit ? That happened with Morris and the entire group just kept on trucking. They are very adept at keeping their hands clean-looking. All they have to do is support the lambs sacrificed on the way to their success.
Just asking. Don't believe it for a minute but these people do not take hostages.

Anonymous said...

The 'c' word in the acronym was always a sham. Thank God we are now talking dollars and sense.

Anonymous said...

6:28 PM
The ones who knew what was going on have since been retired from combat. There are several staff members who knew exactly what was on the agend. I believe one was actually mandated to deal with the ACC in this term.

Anonymous said...

Poor 6:28 PM You are finally beginning to see what went on. Of course they knew what was going on. What has taken you so long to look at the Mar Report and the history? Yup. You were probably giving tutorials on Art History. Look around you at Aurora, really look at it. Talk to the people. Talk and listen. I know it will be hard but if just a few of you realize how you have been used, that would be an enormous step forward.

Anonymous said...

To 6:46 PM

"Is it possible Damir V was set up to take the hit ?"

While some people may like to pull strings and make sure the job gets done with little connection or backlash to them, these same people likely feel that one sided contracts suit them just fine. I also highly doubt that they see anything wrong with anything they do.

I don't think that any of this is about being reasonable or building a consensus, in the minds of the political movement that we call Mormac, it’s likely about getting your way and crushing any opposition which by coincidence was also the divine right of Kings and Queens.

Anonymous said...

"...in the minds of the political movement that we call Mormac..."

WOW This is now a political MOVEMENT???!!???

When will the MorMac Party begin running candidates at the provincial and federal levels? This will rival the Rhino party.