"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

Monday 9 April 2012

Ideas Put Forward.

Notice of Motion:

Whereas during 2000/2003 term of Council, a consultant study on the former library building on Victoria Street, determined a lack of viability. The building had been replaced by a new library facility. Parking was insufficiently provided for the new facility which included two meeting rooms. Retaining the structure and adaptation for re-use was not recommended.

And whereas,
Since that time,the town has built a new Senior's Centre.

The former senior's facility had served, first as a three bay fire hall. Then vacated and served as a facility for the parks department. Vacated, renovatd and served twenty-five more years as a seniors' facility.

And whereas.
Decisions related to disposition of these buildings have now been pending, in one instance ten in another seven years.

And whereas,

Land occupied by the buildings has a higher value as a building site than the current buildings occupying the site.

And whereas

Choice of sites and format currently being contemplated by council for a teen centre do not recommend themselves.

Now therefore be it hereby resolved;

Council immediately bring forward the pending decision to demolish buildings offering inadequate and unadaptable space on land with potential for many times the floor area and sufficient parking to accommodate surrounding uses.

Notice of Motion. Number Two

Whereas:

In 2006 Council made the difficult decision to sell the town's hydro utility corporaton.

And whereas;

The town resolved the financial asset realised from the sale would be protected until a decision would be made for its use for the greatest benefit to the community.

And whereas:

A bylaw requiring the community be informed of any potental expenditure of the funds by one month;s notice.

And whereas;

The purpose of the byelaw was to ensure, an appropriate use ,would only be considered with full community participation

Now therefore Be It Hereby Resolved:

Plans be prepeared for full community consultation for the use of a portion or all the funds realized from the sale of the Town of Aurora Hydro asset of $33, million.

Two weeks ago, at the last Council meeting, after Council, returned from an in camera discussion, I introduced these two ideas under New Business.

Last week the agenda was prepared a day early because Good FRiday was a statutary holiday.

Having other meetings and a family get-together at Easter, being a substantial number,the time rolled by and I did not get the above notices submitted in time to be included in this week's council agenda.

Notices of motion are simply received for information. No action is anticipated.

I forwarded the notices this morning with a request they be added on to to-night's agenda.

I received a response,they would be placed on the agebda of the April 24th meeting. It means they will not be considered by Council until the next Council meeting in mid May.

If Council seeks further information from staff , which is quite likely, that may well not be reported until JUne. In July and August,Council goes into summer recess.

The idea that the community has some say in governance through their elected council, goes out the window.

Council set thing up this way in the review of the procedure bylaw.

Rules of order and procedure are an agreement between Councillors on how we will work together to achieve our responsibilities. We paid an expert to provide his input on the rules we wrote. He said they were fine.

We placed a ten minute limit on the amount of time a Councillor might use to express a position on any issue, no matter how complex.

We may have brought ourselves close to perfect order
by gagging and straitjacketing out of any opportunity to govern town affairs.

Like bumpkins, so taken up are we with the idea of orderly efficiency, such as in the private sector, we have removed ourselves from meaningful contribution to town affairs.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Grace Marsh had a plan for that site which I think she tried to explain the night Morris went ballistic in the Town Hall. Do we have any idea what it might have been?

Anonymous said...

Headless horsemen. Mayor Dawe is still recovering from his narrow skip around the Municipal Act. The Fox is in charge of the henhouse.

Anonymous said...

What part of the Municipal Act allows a councillor the option to place Notices of Motion on a blog because she is not happy with the way the Procedure Bylaw workes for her?

Anonymous said...

The current Council have had to spend too much time and money clearing up the mess from the previous one. It would be great if they could move forward together to do something positive about that wretched site. It could be a project to which they could point in pride if they decided to run again. There are no examples from the previous group that come to mind. This Council has an opportunity to make a lasting mark if they don't get caught up in squabbling matches.
Everyone should be interested enough to push this thing forward and to stop taking direction from staff.
Just for a change, tell staff what you would like to see and assign them to produce the necessary information in a specific time frame. It is your job.

Anonymous said...

I think if they build it, it should be named the Evelyn M. Buck Building.