"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 25 April 2014

To-morrow ...To-morrow ...It's only a day away

I an fine.

It's been a hectic week.

A steady stream of e-mails from residents of the S.E. central neighborhood  called for response
A handful are in support of designation. A deluge  are opposed.

I try to stay on top of  it.  I don't hesitate to state my position and the reason.

If my opinion counts for anything and  influences others, so be it.

Hearing is  important.

But I didn't run for office to perch on the sidelines.

Or  wait for people  to tell me what I think.

At a meeting a  few weeks ago, decision was deferred to get answers to questtions.

It was clea the majoority were opposed even then.

The process was begun because of a request that came from residents.

It makes sense  to stop it when a majority express their opposition.

On Wednesday we received a 40 page  staff report providing answers.

It was a Public Planning Meeting.  Everyone who has anything to say on the issue before Council has the opportunity to say it at a Public Planning Meeting.

It's the law.

And they did.

The conclusion was obvious.

The nays had it.

But ...guess what... Council decided  on a vote 7 of 2 to repeat the process; another meeting and more input from staff.

Mayor Dawe and myself were the two.

It means  both sides will  have to  keep working. One to hold their edge. The other to change the outcome.

Neither side can relax.

On Wednesday I found myself still at the computer  responding to e-mails at 4.51 in the afternoon.

Other things happen.  Someone else needs help.  I need to  take that matter in hand as well.

So,,, the week flew by... and  no post.

I will to-morrow.




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

We figured that it had gotten rough. Streaming would have really helped but such was clearly not the intent.
In-put is always being given solid backing by all councillors verbally but has yet to be understood by the majority. Residents have no idea what is going on.

Anonymous said...

The same thing occurred last Council when Mr Gallo was appointed to the Council over the wishes of a packed auditorium. And then in this Council at that frightful meeting over the
Centre when screechers, some from out of town, invaded the Council chambers.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me. Pray tell what is staff supposed to in-put ? Are they assigned to get a report on all of their previous reports and to re-conduct all the interviews they have held ?