"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

Friday 10 May 2013

Not precisely flotsam

I have a few minutes between working and taking sustenance. Not long enough to write a post.
Nor could  I give it my full attention. Which my detractors would undoubtedly say 'Thank
Goodness for small mercies.

I am occupied on my computer. Giving my full attention to  the task in hand and getting  into the swing of it. Time is of  the essence.

I dearly wish I could share . But needs must... I can't.

Not until the fight is over and perhaps not even then.

I am engaged in an entirely different experience and discovering  the fight is fought  not at  all as  one might  expect being in a different arena and  all.

We are  considering a new "Procurement Bylaw" at  Council.  It gives staff authority to spend up to $200,000. without   deferring  to Council.

At the moment it doesn't look like it will fly. But it has  been  deferred for a month  Which often means  an issue comes back  with a changed mindset.

I pointed out to the Mayor his support is probably due to his experience in he private sector.  Where a company owner makes a decision and passes on to  his trusty staff  the authority to carry through without further consultation.

Of course it's speedier. More efficient.  It is also private not public business. If a mistake is made,
the resources at risk are also private not public.

Not so, said  the Mayor. It's how the Region does it.

I went to  the Region's inaugural meeting.  I  listened  to the Councillors introduce themselves, their families, their campaign organizers and all and sundry.

I am not persuaded  the Region  has an act I wish to follow.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unless we get anther flip-flop - which is entirely possible - that increase in staff authority should not have any wings. But we did listen carefully to each councillor & have pretty good memories. Have to add the rider though. Two councillors were absent in body this past session instead of merely in mind.

Anonymous said...

The date for Mothers' Day must have been selected by a guy. Why else would you have a special day when moms receive plants and seedlings that can't be planted until days after the willing labour of family has gone back to work and/or school?

Anonymous said...

To 11:21....

How much money is consumed by the "process" to have council endorse a plan to purchase goods and services less that $200,000?

If you added it up, staff hours both during the work day and to attend council meetings; council hours to read, absorb, debate the motion; hard costs like printing agendas, posting to newspapers or web sites, etc. I bet you could come close to the amount of money that they are looking to spend in the first place.

If you let them make the decision (with proper managerial oversite) you can save all of that time and money and do what would happen anyways.

========================

11:31.... You must be a male-hating feminist to post somthing like that. Very sad.

Anonymous said...

Councillor Thompson said he thought that the amount should come up but that $200,000 seemed above his ' comfort level ' . He looked heading towards $100,000 but can be unpredictable. ie. Centre and SAC

Anonymous said...

Common sense once again at Town Hall. Why spend $50,000 in order to validate spending $100,000. Just do it!

Anonymous said...

Invoking the the "Centre," 2:44 PM? Entirely predictable.

Anonymous said...

Just take the entire weekend off for family, Evelyn. Lord knows you've earned it. With that cast of characters, your current play must be a horror show.

Anonymous said...

Why should Aurora want to emulate the Region? Mayor Dawe should take care of business on his home front & not take guidance from a troubled entity.

Anonymous said...

@ 11:21 AM
I would hazard a guess that Councillor Gallo will vote against the increase. He was quite nasty in accusing staff of exceeding their spending authority over the tennis courts at David English Park. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he actually got work stopped on that project. Unlike Ballard and his tower.

Anonymous said...

Mother's Day goes back to the 1600's