The project is included in the capital budget. The funds are derived from development charge levies. They are not part of the tax levy. They cannot be used for any other purpose. If not used for the purpose taken, they may very well have to be returned from whence they came. To the developers.
The diamond has been in the Needs Forecast for five years.That's how it came to be included in the development charge levy. It is desperately needed. Two years ago, the Director recommended a purchase of a suitable site. Funds to pay for it were available in the Cash in Lieu of Parks Reserve Account. The account currently has a balance in excess of ten million dollars.
Council rejected the recommendation. Councillor MacEachern argued; "why should we buy land when we have land adjacent to the new rec centre"
Much of the estimate cost of building a diamond on that site is directly attributable to the nature of the land and servicing the site for multiple uses. Only the tender process will determine a precise cost for the project.
The rational for using development charge funds and the consequences of not using them for the purpose they were taken has been repeated to Council by staff many times. To no avail. Refusal to accept the professional advice is beyond comprehension.
Councillor MacEachern stated at Tuesday's meeting she had been reading the background documentation accompanying the director's report until 3a.m. Tuesday morning. She proceeded to critique the language of the documents and itemise her perception of errors ommissions and contradictions at length.
After twenty minutes of angry page flipping, no end of the harangue in sight, less sign of town business being accomplished and twenty minutes after the hour of adjournment, I took my leave.
To be a silent witness is to be a participant.To raise a point of order in this council is to be held responsible for the resulting mayhem.
I understand the Mayor took over when the Councillor left off . Much of the criticism was repeated a second time and a final decision was made to refer the matter to the Chief Administrative Officer for a further report.
Councillor Granger sublimely presided over the shameful display without intervention.
.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
After Hours
I left the council chamber at ten-minutes to eleven on Tuesday evening. Councillor Mac Eachern had spent the previous twenty minutes excoriating Director Al Downey for documentation he submitted in support of a recommendation to prepare specifications and call tenders for the construction of a baseball diamond. He did so in response to council direction.
More comments
This morning I received the following emailed comment:
Good Morning Evelyn,
The next retort you receive from Barry, give him the rest of the reasons we want no part of becoming mixed into Newmarket. They have mismanaged their finances so badly that less than 4 years ago they were all but broke. No Capital Reserves. No DC Bylaws and they have let themselves become built out without any chance of establishing a more stable and predictable industrial commercial tax base.
All Barry needs to do is take a drive through Newmarket to see how poorly planned their Town is, the degraded condition of their parks and sports fields and the many conflicts with residential and commercial development , not to mention the absolute gridlock that their road system offers.
Unfortunately Barry is not privy to some of the things that are known, like the fact that they are quite willing to throw millions of dollars at consultants to do the work that staff do for a fraction of the cost. The fact that they have huge loans and tax payers money owing on lands that should have been convey to the municipality for free, just like in Aurora.
Barry has no Idea how this good hamlet north of us has been managed over the years thanks to their very astute politicians and staff. I'm sure these few examples are but the tip of the iceberg in their sea of financial oblivion, and I'm sure we are a carrot in their eye with our history of excellence when it comes to our record of managing the public purse. Oh and don’t forget to add the fact that they are doing everything they can to continue their sprawl in search of the almighty dollar by trying to annex land not rightfully theirs from their next door neighbour to the north in an attempt to bail themselves out .
Perhaps Barry might change his tune if he really paid attention and researched his little pipe dream about how rosy our future would be in the Town of Newaurora
Who the heck is Barry?
.
I don't know Barry except he has chosen to engage in the discussion and I'm glad. His is a larger vision of forming a single city from the north end of the region. Ron Wallace would tell me to wash my mouth with soap for even raising the issue but I think it never hurts to think about worst case scenarios. How else can we avoid them?
There is co-operation between the "Northern Six"municipalities. We have a joint contract for the Green Bin program with Turtle Island. We share an internal auditing service. We buy salt sand and gasoline and something else through the Regional Co-op . There is probably room for more joint purchasing. Paper would be a good start. Though we should first get control of the amount we use.
With the myriad of advisory committees, production and circulation of thousands of pages serving no useful purpose, man hours and machines it takes to produce, collate and distribute, it doesn't bear thinking about how many thousands of dollars of labour and material end up in a shredder and then proceed to a re-cycling depot which cost us $8.5 million to build.
If we can't get control at our level how much less possible would it be in a city structure?
I don't know Barry except he has chosen to engage in the discussion and I'm glad. His is a larger vision of forming a single city from the north end of the region. Ron Wallace would tell me to wash my mouth with soap for even raising the issue but I think it never hurts to think about worst case scenarios. How else can we avoid them?
There is co-operation between the "Northern Six"municipalities. We have a joint contract for the Green Bin program with Turtle Island. We share an internal auditing service. We buy salt sand and gasoline and something else through the Regional Co-op . There is probably room for more joint purchasing. Paper would be a good start. Though we should first get control of the amount we use.
With the myriad of advisory committees, production and circulation of thousands of pages serving no useful purpose, man hours and machines it takes to produce, collate and distribute, it doesn't bear thinking about how many thousands of dollars of labour and material end up in a shredder and then proceed to a re-cycling depot which cost us $8.5 million to build.
If we can't get control at our level how much less possible would it be in a city structure?
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Barry Says
"Give us the facts Ma'am. What are the arguments against
amalgamation with Newmarket. Sentiment doesn't cut it and fear doesn't enter the picture. "
The first thing to think about is political representation. The council would likely be the same size; eight members and a Mayor. Newmarket is half as big again as Aurora and assessment is higher. They would have a larger share of representation. They have a population of seventy-five thousand and a ward system.
Aurora would comprise two wards at most. That might give us four councillors.
Candidates don't have to live in a particular ward. They can run anywhere. If the Province contemplated amalgamation, they would likely consider extending boundaries north and east at the same time.
In Markham, Ward Councillors share an office and an administrative assistant. Salaries are three times as high as an Aurora Councillor. There wouldn't be much savings there.
Richmond Hill recently underwent re-organisation and created an extra layer of top bureaucrats. They have Commissioners responsible for each department. They do have a significantly larger population and geographic area. than Aurora and Newmarket combined. But with two towns reduced to one and boundaries extended, it would come sooner rather than later.
Last night, at council-in-committee, we had two regional officials inform us about a new regional re-cycling yard in Vaughan
They showed us pictures and talked about aesthetics, architectural design, landscaping and making it a happy place to encourage people dropping off their trash to come again. The project cost $5 million for the land and $3.5 million for the structure.
That's kind of thing that happens regularly at the Region. The higher you take government away from the people, the more sense and sensibility gets lost in the rarefied atmosphere.
A new town might have three representatives at the region . Would it make a difference? I'm not sure a regional Councillors represents a ward . Or do they sit on the municipal council as well as the region and collect two salaries?
I read in the Toronto Star, York Region has given themselves a 3% salary increase. I would never have known that if I hadn't been reading a Toronto newspaper.
Regional business is sometimes conducted by telephone poll. That's how a million dollar Tsunami donation to the Red Cross was decided. Last I read, it never even got to the victims. I think the Red Cross pocketed the whole shebang.
People would never have known if I hadn't raised merry hell. Not that it made any difference. The cheque was signed by the Chairman and in the mail before the public knew what was in the wind.
Toronto is an amalgamated city. I think they have about forty-five councillors and a population of millions. The Mayor has an executive committee that outnumbers the rest of council. If a committee member breaks rank, he/she is immediately dumped and replaced. The Mayor has the power. The Province gave it to him. David Miller doesn't strike me as possessed of Solomonlike wisdom.There aren't many about.
I'm not even sure about Solomon There was probably a spin-master in the mix somewhere.
It's not the only reason I favour smaller units of government. I think it's better to be able to look a politician in the eye and have a chance at knowing whether or not they are straight up. I think we need to value what we have and make it work for us.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Hyberbole....eh
Harrumph!
Walt thinks amalgamation/merger between Aurora and Newmarket is a great idea . But he accuses me of being an " alarmist" for contemplating the possibility. Where's the consistency? Eh
Even more to the point ....where's the hyperbole?
Walt thinks amalgamation/merger between Aurora and Newmarket is a great idea . But he accuses me of being an " alarmist" for contemplating the possibility. Where's the consistency? Eh
Even more to the point ....where's the hyperbole?
Saturday, 4 April 2009
My Greatest Fear
The Province might decide, if we can't govern ourselves properly, they will fold us like a blanket with the town to the north of us.
Forty years ago the plans for York Region involved a reduction in the number of lower tier municipalities. An initial proposal was from fourteen to five. Aurora and Newmarket were shown on the map as a single urban node.Five miles separated us.
Valid arguments prevailed against the notion. I was Aurora's last Reeve.The Office had existed since Aurora was a village named Machell's Corners. I was a member of the last York County Council and the Ad Hoc committee planning the new Region with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Arguments were : We had Volunteer Fire Brigades. If we lost our Volunteers, the alternative would cost millions. With amalgamation, we would certainly lose the Volunteers.
Parents managed sports programs. Potters spun wheels , artists painted and thespians strode the boards, wherever space could be found. Aurora Drama Group built sets in pieces in separate basements and put them together on a stage the night before the play went on.
The Director of Recreation, a man named of Ernie Batson was manager of the community centre. We had a Recreation Commission and he was the staff resource person. He found space for programs,advised about grants from senior levels of government and how to organise new ventures. Service Clubs were involved in supporting programmes.The town had one recreation facility.
We had our own transit. Our own wells . Our own treatment plants.
Our population was about eighty-five hundred. It grew a couple of thousand with the advent of Regional government.
Forty years later, where are we? A population of more than fifty thousand in Aurora. Seventy-five thousand in Newmarket. Nothing separates us. No local treatment plants . The York-Durham trunk system serves both towns. Water distribution is connected. Transit is one. Fire protection is joint.There are no Volunteers.
Recreation is a multi million dollar operation in both towns. People from Newmarket use our facilities and vice versa.Folk cross borders to shop all the time. Educational funding has been absorbed almost completely by the province along with the decision-making authority.
We have proportionately less representation on the Region and Boards of Education than we had forty years ago.
Last time out for a four year term of office, we elected a slate of candidates including a Mayor, who have no concept of principle save the political imperative of being re-elected. They practice determined and shameless pandering to special interest groups. It's a fail- safe strategy. They mow down anyone who gets in their way including staff.
It's not a new concept. It works in the party system at provincial and federal level of government. But unrelieved by an occasional responsible decision, it disregards an important reality of politics at eye level .
People cannot be collectively flim-flammed for four years without being able to recognise the pattern.
Municipalities have no legal right to exist. We are creatures of the province. We can be wiped off the face of the map and within a generation it would be as if we had never existed. It would be easier now than forty years ago. It could be seen as dealing with a pesky problem
.
Forty years ago the plans for York Region involved a reduction in the number of lower tier municipalities. An initial proposal was from fourteen to five. Aurora and Newmarket were shown on the map as a single urban node.Five miles separated us.
Valid arguments prevailed against the notion. I was Aurora's last Reeve.The Office had existed since Aurora was a village named Machell's Corners. I was a member of the last York County Council and the Ad Hoc committee planning the new Region with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Arguments were : We had Volunteer Fire Brigades. If we lost our Volunteers, the alternative would cost millions. With amalgamation, we would certainly lose the Volunteers.
Parents managed sports programs. Potters spun wheels , artists painted and thespians strode the boards, wherever space could be found. Aurora Drama Group built sets in pieces in separate basements and put them together on a stage the night before the play went on.
The Director of Recreation, a man named of Ernie Batson was manager of the community centre. We had a Recreation Commission and he was the staff resource person. He found space for programs,advised about grants from senior levels of government and how to organise new ventures. Service Clubs were involved in supporting programmes.The town had one recreation facility.
We had our own transit. Our own wells . Our own treatment plants.
Our population was about eighty-five hundred. It grew a couple of thousand with the advent of Regional government.
Forty years later, where are we? A population of more than fifty thousand in Aurora. Seventy-five thousand in Newmarket. Nothing separates us. No local treatment plants . The York-Durham trunk system serves both towns. Water distribution is connected. Transit is one. Fire protection is joint.There are no Volunteers.
Recreation is a multi million dollar operation in both towns. People from Newmarket use our facilities and vice versa.Folk cross borders to shop all the time. Educational funding has been absorbed almost completely by the province along with the decision-making authority.
We have proportionately less representation on the Region and Boards of Education than we had forty years ago.
Last time out for a four year term of office, we elected a slate of candidates including a Mayor, who have no concept of principle save the political imperative of being re-elected. They practice determined and shameless pandering to special interest groups. It's a fail- safe strategy. They mow down anyone who gets in their way including staff.
It's not a new concept. It works in the party system at provincial and federal level of government. But unrelieved by an occasional responsible decision, it disregards an important reality of politics at eye level .
People cannot be collectively flim-flammed for four years without being able to recognise the pattern.
Resentment cannot simmer and smoulder without reaching a boiling point, spilling over and making one hell of a mess.
Municipalities have no legal right to exist. We are creatures of the province. We can be wiped off the face of the map and within a generation it would be as if we had never existed. It would be easier now than forty years ago. It could be seen as dealing with a pesky problem
.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Publish or Perish
It's a familiar phrase. On Tumultuous Tuesday, as well as The Budget, a hundred pages of documentation supporting a lease council had never set eyes on but was expected to approve and three memos from the Mayor, several delegations were on the public agenda. A Professor, invited by the Mayor, came to suggest Aurora councillors and candidates in the last election had sold their souls for campaign donations.
The Professor has published a study of ten GTA municipalities.The Mayor caught wind of it. He concluded from his research that growth and development in the GTA is entirely in the hands of development corporations and construction unions.
Well, Silly Billy, of course it is. Developers finance . Unions construct...not just houses, office buildings, shopping malls and factories
Municipal infrastructure in the GTA (outside Toronto} is financed by developers and constructed by unions. . Ninety per cent of the cost of town edifices are paid for with development charges. Vehicles and equipment, necessary because of growth, are bought with development charge funds. New home-owners have higher assessments because of hidden taxes in the market value of their homes. They pay higher taxes than owners of older properties.
The beautiful new Richmond Hill Arts Centre on Yonge Street was likely financed in good part with development charges and donations from developers. . The Magna Recreation Centre on Wellington Street is financed by debt re-payment from development charge revenue and a two million dollar contribution for naming rights by Frank Stronach, an industrialist and a developer.
The new baseball diamond in this year's budget will be ninety-per-cent funded from development charges
For several years, Joe Lebovic, a developer has contributed $10k each year to the Aurora Arts and Culture Fund. Most other fun events in the community are funded by sponsorships of various business enterprise.Developers provided funds to help pay for the Aurora Senior Centre.
The Mayor's guest professor claims favourable planning decisions in the GTA are directly the result of campaign donations to candidates. He just can't prove it because planning votes are not recorded. Aurora was not one of the municipalities he "studied" but he expressed confidence findings here would be the same.
.
His hypothesis is only interesting because of the limitations of its scope.
Councils are required by law to make planning decisions. To escape the accusation a
favourable vote has been bought and paid for by a campaign donation, if there has been such a donation, which is not against any law, but must be disclosed.... means a politician would be wise to vote against every application, regardless of whether it conforms to the various planning instruments employed and paid for by the municipality.
Some regularly vote against, regardless of legal cost to the town for defending the indefensible before the Ontario Municipal Board. A councillor or mayor might even be wise to be absent from planning meetings where there's a hint of opposition to a proposal.On the one hand, assure a developer of support over a private lunch and then fail to show when the decison is made and votes are counted.
But the Professor's invitation was not about the merits of his findings. It was about the campaign that never stops in Aurora. It was about gearing up to fight off potential rivals with contrived accusations of malfeasance. Before our very eyes, using a business meeting of the municipality, we have seen the sleight of hand...on camera already.
A naive Professor bringing up statements on his lap-top of election expenses and donations of a variety of campaigns in the GTA , has no idea of the chicanery that goes on in a municipal campaign or how he himself was duped into participating in a particularly odious stunt.
.
The Professor has published a study of ten GTA municipalities.The Mayor caught wind of it. He concluded from his research that growth and development in the GTA is entirely in the hands of development corporations and construction unions.
Well, Silly Billy, of course it is. Developers finance . Unions construct...not just houses, office buildings, shopping malls and factories
Municipal infrastructure in the GTA (outside Toronto} is financed by developers and constructed by unions. . Ninety per cent of the cost of town edifices are paid for with development charges. Vehicles and equipment, necessary because of growth, are bought with development charge funds. New home-owners have higher assessments because of hidden taxes in the market value of their homes. They pay higher taxes than owners of older properties.
The beautiful new Richmond Hill Arts Centre on Yonge Street was likely financed in good part with development charges and donations from developers. . The Magna Recreation Centre on Wellington Street is financed by debt re-payment from development charge revenue and a two million dollar contribution for naming rights by Frank Stronach, an industrialist and a developer.
The new baseball diamond in this year's budget will be ninety-per-cent funded from development charges
For several years, Joe Lebovic, a developer has contributed $10k each year to the Aurora Arts and Culture Fund. Most other fun events in the community are funded by sponsorships of various business enterprise.Developers provided funds to help pay for the Aurora Senior Centre.
The Mayor's guest professor claims favourable planning decisions in the GTA are directly the result of campaign donations to candidates. He just can't prove it because planning votes are not recorded. Aurora was not one of the municipalities he "studied" but he expressed confidence findings here would be the same.
.
His hypothesis is only interesting because of the limitations of its scope.
Councils are required by law to make planning decisions. To escape the accusation a
favourable vote has been bought and paid for by a campaign donation, if there has been such a donation, which is not against any law, but must be disclosed.... means a politician would be wise to vote against every application, regardless of whether it conforms to the various planning instruments employed and paid for by the municipality.
Some regularly vote against, regardless of legal cost to the town for defending the indefensible before the Ontario Municipal Board. A councillor or mayor might even be wise to be absent from planning meetings where there's a hint of opposition to a proposal.On the one hand, assure a developer of support over a private lunch and then fail to show when the decison is made and votes are counted.
But the Professor's invitation was not about the merits of his findings. It was about the campaign that never stops in Aurora. It was about gearing up to fight off potential rivals with contrived accusations of malfeasance. Before our very eyes, using a business meeting of the municipality, we have seen the sleight of hand...on camera already.
A naive Professor bringing up statements on his lap-top of election expenses and donations of a variety of campaigns in the GTA , has no idea of the chicanery that goes on in a municipal campaign or how he himself was duped into participating in a particularly odious stunt.
Bless his pristine little white cotton socks.
.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
A Question of Protocol.
The "Protocol"cited by the town solicitor as a reason to withhold information was conjured up recently by the Mayor.
During a meeting I asked the Director of Public Works about the "windrow clearing" program provided to thirty-one residents. The Mayor stated a notice of motion was required and further, a resolution had to be approved by council to direct the Director to answer the question. Publicity for the program was clearly not welcome.
Consistency is not a priority with the Mayor.Hours of council time are monopolised by particular councillors with questions to staff. One member is admonished for failing to obtain answers prior to the council meeting while others continue ad infinitum with questions that never lead anywhere.
The Mayor will interrupt a councillor and drag staff into the debate to refute a point of argument. While another is encouraged to flagrantly flout the rules to press home a point of questionable logic. The practice directly contravenes the rules but so long as the majority support the Mayor's unique concept of leadership, inconsistency will be rule rather than the exception.
Last term, our former Mayor was regularly flailed with accusations of bias. Ironically if councillors were sufficiently conversant with the rules and observed them, ample time would be available for each to make their arguments with civility and pesky points of order would seldom be heard.
Incidentally, the report promised by staff on the "windrow clearing" project has not yet seen the light of day. At year-end, Public Works was said to have over-spent their budget by almost half a million. No explanation was provided.
The Legal Services Reserve Account was depleted last year as well. So that budget was also overspent. The account was replenished with $200k from 2008 supplementary revenues. Another nice chunk of change which would have helped reduce the tax bite further.
During a meeting I asked the Director of Public Works about the "windrow clearing" program provided to thirty-one residents. The Mayor stated a notice of motion was required and further, a resolution had to be approved by council to direct the Director to answer the question. Publicity for the program was clearly not welcome.
Consistency is not a priority with the Mayor.Hours of council time are monopolised by particular councillors with questions to staff. One member is admonished for failing to obtain answers prior to the council meeting while others continue ad infinitum with questions that never lead anywhere.
The Mayor will interrupt a councillor and drag staff into the debate to refute a point of argument. While another is encouraged to flagrantly flout the rules to press home a point of questionable logic. The practice directly contravenes the rules but so long as the majority support the Mayor's unique concept of leadership, inconsistency will be rule rather than the exception.
Last term, our former Mayor was regularly flailed with accusations of bias. Ironically if councillors were sufficiently conversant with the rules and observed them, ample time would be available for each to make their arguments with civility and pesky points of order would seldom be heard.
Incidentally, the report promised by staff on the "windrow clearing" project has not yet seen the light of day. At year-end, Public Works was said to have over-spent their budget by almost half a million. No explanation was provided.
The Legal Services Reserve Account was depleted last year as well. So that budget was also overspent. The account was replenished with $200k from 2008 supplementary revenues. Another nice chunk of change which would have helped reduce the tax bite further.
Whys and Wherefores of a Statutory Appointment
The post of Treasurer carries legal responsibilities and liabilities. Management of the municipality's funds are entrusted to his care.Failure of a Statutory Officer to perform is ultimately the responsibility of those who make the appointment. The appointment is made by Bylaw. Only Council can adopt a Bylaw.
The normal process to fill the post is by public competition. A head-hunter can be contracted. The second method is more expensive and not always satisfactory though either is acceptable to
assure the public things are being done right. It is the only way to ensure a lodge brother , a cousin, niece or nephew, best friend or friend of a friend is not being handed the job, qualified or not, or without satisfactory references.
In politics openness and transparency are touted as virtue.Rightly so. It is not enough for things to be right. They must be seen to be right.
There is a ladder of accountability in municipal business as elsewhere. A Chief Administrative Officer is the management team leader. There are only about a hundred in the province. The post is not mandatory. The responsibility is for smooth and efficient operations. At staff level, he is head honcho.He is only as good as those reporting to him. He is accountable to Council. The line between political and administrative responsibility must be marked and maintained. Crossing it is not a wise move.
Councillors are individually accountable to electors.... who provide the resources to pay for services. They have little to say about how much they will pay or how money will be spent. There should be assurance their hard-earned or fixed income dollars are wisely, honestly and legally managed.
The Treasurer's post is mandatory. Knowledge of regulations on local financial management
is essential. Municipal policies and procedures are equally important. Failure on the part of a statutory officer to uphold provincial law is an offense subject to prosecution. Neither Councillors nor the Mayor or Chief Administrative Officer have authority to direct a statutory officer to act, except within the law.
No competition for the job was posted. No recruitment service was contracted. No recommendation was made to council. Councillors were informed of the decision after the deed was done. We were informed an interim appointment had been made and an individual would assume the post on April 1st.
There is neither rhyme nor reason for an interim appointment to this post. Three months notice was provided by the current Treasurer. It was ample time for the normal process.
In my judgement, the arbitrary decision is invalid. The authority of Council was disregarded and disrespected. Apparently, neither the Mayor nor the Chief Administrative Officer are aware of the division of authority between council and the administration.Either that or they jointly made a conscious choice .
The normal process to fill the post is by public competition. A head-hunter can be contracted. The second method is more expensive and not always satisfactory though either is acceptable to
assure the public things are being done right. It is the only way to ensure a lodge brother , a cousin, niece or nephew, best friend or friend of a friend is not being handed the job, qualified or not, or without satisfactory references.
In politics openness and transparency are touted as virtue.Rightly so. It is not enough for things to be right. They must be seen to be right.
There is a ladder of accountability in municipal business as elsewhere. A Chief Administrative Officer is the management team leader. There are only about a hundred in the province. The post is not mandatory. The responsibility is for smooth and efficient operations. At staff level, he is head honcho.He is only as good as those reporting to him. He is accountable to Council. The line between political and administrative responsibility must be marked and maintained. Crossing it is not a wise move.
Councillors are individually accountable to electors.... who provide the resources to pay for services. They have little to say about how much they will pay or how money will be spent. There should be assurance their hard-earned or fixed income dollars are wisely, honestly and legally managed.
The Treasurer's post is mandatory. Knowledge of regulations on local financial management
is essential. Municipal policies and procedures are equally important. Failure on the part of a statutory officer to uphold provincial law is an offense subject to prosecution. Neither Councillors nor the Mayor or Chief Administrative Officer have authority to direct a statutory officer to act, except within the law.
No competition for the job was posted. No recruitment service was contracted. No recommendation was made to council. Councillors were informed of the decision after the deed was done. We were informed an interim appointment had been made and an individual would assume the post on April 1st.
There is neither rhyme nor reason for an interim appointment to this post. Three months notice was provided by the current Treasurer. It was ample time for the normal process.
In my judgement, the arbitrary decision is invalid. The authority of Council was disregarded and disrespected. Apparently, neither the Mayor nor the Chief Administrative Officer are aware of the division of authority between council and the administration.Either that or they jointly made a conscious choice .
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
This Space Will Stay Empty
So, Richard Illingworth is gone and his space will not be filled. He was a remnant of a generation that no longer exists. He was what his life created.
He spoke often of his mother, a staunch, passionate, Toronto, Ontario, White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. During elections, she worked hard for what she believed and passed on her Conservative values to her son.
When the Depression came and his father lost his job, fourteen year old Richard became the principal family provider. His wage from five-and-a-half ten hour days work in a mill, was the family's sole income.
Young folk did not dwell much on what they wanted to do with their lives then. They took whatever work was available and considered themselves fortunate to be employed.
War came and broader experience presented itself. It ended and the need to work hard continued the same as before. It was a natural progression for him to become involved in local politics.
I first met him in a second floor meeting room on Yonge Street, Aurora. The late and former Clerk-Treasurer of the Town, Bill Johnstone was conducting a series of information workshop on the ins-and-outs of town business. We were both candidates that year.
Later, when we were members of Council, Richard was attending York University taking night classes in a business course...on Thursday evenings. He strenuously opposed council meetings on Thursday night. He was fifty-two years old when he joined the Ontario Civil Service. He didn't have long to build a pension.
He had no complaints. He was a man completely comfortable within his own skin. People who return from war tend to have a robust view of life. They know too well how different fate might have been.
He took each day as it came- continued his life-long habit of work and responsibility while enjoying gleeful opportunity wherever he found it. For ninety-two years he fully exercised his right to make his presence felt and impact his community.
Pretty much how his mother taught him. Right on until the end.
Tumultuous Tuesday
I've written half a dozen Blogs since and assigned them to the draft file. They will not see the light of day until I deal with this particular issue.
Last Tuesday, a scheduled workshop meeting did not take place but a late item was added to a closed door agenda. Council was informed of a decision made by the Chief Administrative Officer. It was not, as required by the rules, reported out to the public meeting.
I do not believe the matter belonged behind closed doors . Neither do I believe it was a decision within the authority of the C.A.O. Although I have no doubt the Mayor and one Councillor were privy to the decision beforehand, I believe the rest of council was not.
John Gutteridge, Chief Financial Officer submitted his resignation to the Town on January 5th.
It was no surprise.I had been anticipating it since the departure of CAO, John Rogers. Mr Gutteridge indicated he would leave on April 15th.after the budget was completed.
By mid-March, there were no signs of recruitment. The process is administrative. On Tuesday, March 24th, I planned to inquire about progress. Instead, Council was informed behind closed doors the decision had been made to hire an Interim Financial Officer, a candidate had been chosen and would be in place on April 1st.
A Municipal Treasurer is a Statutory Officer.He/She is responsible for upholding Provincial Regulations governing Municipal Finance Procedures as well Municipal Bylaws on Policies and Procedures.His name is on every Town cheque issued. For legal accountablity such an officer must be appointed by Bylaw. Only Council votes on Bylaws. The decision therefore is beyond the scope of the Chief Administrative Officer.
I needed to confirm my conclusions. A phone call to the office of Director of Corporate Service, also a Statutory Officer, came up blank. Alternately,I called the Office of the Town Solicitor. I posed my questions He advised he would get back to me..
Last Tuesday, a scheduled workshop meeting did not take place but a late item was added to a closed door agenda. Council was informed of a decision made by the Chief Administrative Officer. It was not, as required by the rules, reported out to the public meeting.
I do not believe the matter belonged behind closed doors . Neither do I believe it was a decision within the authority of the C.A.O. Although I have no doubt the Mayor and one Councillor were privy to the decision beforehand, I believe the rest of council was not.
John Gutteridge, Chief Financial Officer submitted his resignation to the Town on January 5th.
It was no surprise.I had been anticipating it since the departure of CAO, John Rogers. Mr Gutteridge indicated he would leave on April 15th.after the budget was completed.
By mid-March, there were no signs of recruitment. The process is administrative. On Tuesday, March 24th, I planned to inquire about progress. Instead, Council was informed behind closed doors the decision had been made to hire an Interim Financial Officer, a candidate had been chosen and would be in place on April 1st.
A Municipal Treasurer is a Statutory Officer.He/She is responsible for upholding Provincial Regulations governing Municipal Finance Procedures as well Municipal Bylaws on Policies and Procedures.His name is on every Town cheque issued. For legal accountablity such an officer must be appointed by Bylaw. Only Council votes on Bylaws. The decision therefore is beyond the scope of the Chief Administrative Officer.
I needed to confirm my conclusions. A phone call to the office of Director of Corporate Service, also a Statutory Officer, came up blank. Alternately,I called the Office of the Town Solicitor. I posed my questions He advised he would get back to me..
.He did. He said "protocol" indicates he can only answer questions on a resolution of Council. I asked him to cite "the protocol" and where I might find it. . He was unable to do that either.
My conviction grows that the town's affairs are not being properly administered. Things do not improve.
.
.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
That's a Wrap.
Oftentimes I know if I linger longer I will cease to be civil. I usually manage to stay until the hour of adjournment. If town business is being accomplished I'm there till it's done. Having to fight to exercise my authority as a councillor is tedious. It takes all my resources to maintain equilibrium. When I arrive at the point of saying something sufficiently cutting that it can never be forgotten or forgiven, that's when I pack up my papers and remove myself from the area of risk.
Tuesday was Budget night. The most important night of the year. From hence all things stem. Mine was the solitary vote in opposition. I regret that. There was no shortage of work and effort on the part of Councillors and staff to get the job done.
My reason was simple. I do not share the Mayor's priorities. In my book, the Corporation is not a Philanthropic Society or a Charitable Foundation. I believe people should be free to determine which charities they will or wont support. I don't appreciate someone else's hand in my pocket, filching my resources for charity and do good projects. Nor do I want it done to anyone else who has trusted me to represent their interest.
Tuesday's agenda exemplifies my concerns.
Notice had been served of a second workshop with the Integrity Commissioner. The meeting did not take place. No notice of cancellation was served. It simply was not mentioned again.
The first workshop was attended by all but three. The Mayor and Councillors MacEachern and Gallo were absent. Councillor Collins-Mrakas had served notice for an educational session prior to the Commissioner's request. At that time, Councillor MacEachern declared her opposition and stated she would not attend.
When the second session was called, the Councillor declared she would not attend because it was closed to the public. The meeting was nevertheless scheduled and then ...didn't happen. No reason given.
The budget provides for an Integrity Commissioner. Even with all members signed on save one, having it happen under these circumstances seems unlikely. An annual retainer of $12 thousand and $3 thousand to deal with complaints is itemized. Now that's weird. I understand the level of compensation for an Integrity Commissioner reflects legal fees and or a Judge's compensation as the norm.
It seems, either the program will not go forward or cost is vastly under-estimated. Either way the budget does not appear to be realistic.
My position on restoration of the Petch House is known. The budget figure was increased from $100 K to $108K. $8 thousand has apparently come from another source.$100k comes from the tax levy. No offset from development charge revenues. Privately, the word is, if the building survives the move, restoration will cost $200K and the building will be reduced from 450 to 200 sq.ft. That's about the size of a three-hole privy and a wood shed combined. How authentic is that?
Neil Garbe ,CAO, says if we do not undertake the project, we will simply pop the money into a reserve account. The sum swallows town taxes from approximately a hundred and thirty homes. Mr. Garbe comes to us from York Region.
$100K is more than Mr. Tree asked for part-time workers and casual full time employees for six months,to do work that needs to be done, at a time when some residents may badly need employment. We refused his request.
On Tuesday, the July 1st parade became a burden to taxpayers for the first time in its history. Heretofore, revenues have met its cost. But that took an Almighty volunteer effort to accomplish. It happened annually for almost forty years. But people get tired. A year of preparation over-laps from one to another. The Parade gradually diminished and was a pale shadow of its former glory.
One year I rode in a car with former Mayor George Timpson. George hid in the corner and I hung out the window waving. I'm not sure how much it contributed to the fun of the moment. But I was asked and I did it out of sympathy for the volunteer who was desperately trying to build a parade.
Staff eventually advised volunteer interest in continuing the responsibility had finally evaporated.On the other hand, celebrations at the Lambert Willson Park had grown proportionately. More families came to the park to participate in fun events and competitions starting earlier in the day, than watched the parade on Yonge Street. Change is hard. But sometimes it happens when you're not even trying.I thought that was a good time to rest the parade.
Then along came self-proclaimed Wonder Woman, Sher St. Kitts of Snowball Corners who declared she could give Aurora the finest parade ever seen. Now it seems the effort requires too much from Ms. St. Kitts. Taxpayers, at her demand, are to pay for the parade and town staff to carry the work load. It's happening in the 2009 budget.
On Tuesday night, still another outfit received $2700 worth of free time in a town facility . They run a Masters Lacrosse Tournament and make a charitable donation to another organization They sought free use of the facility to increase their donation. Last year,they raised $47,000. They were able to plump it up with free time at the facility..
$2700 revenue to the community centre would improve the bottom line of the facility's operation and help keep fees down for regular users.
We calculate operating costs and revenue to establish user fees for minor sports organizations. Who are also volunteers providing opportunities for young residents of our town. But for outsiders, we are giving it away. It's not my idea of good or fair fiscal management.
The budget recommended painting the ceiling of Community Centre #2. The item was deleted. Following direction from the Mayor, Neil Garbe our new CAO, accompanied by three other top officials inspected the ceiling and wrote a Memo for the record advising the recommendation was for the work to be done within three years. That was not the recommendation.
Hard times were frequently referenced by the Mayor during budget deliberations. Yet our town's economy is booming. Building continues and assessment revenues increase proportionately.
The national economic downturn may well mean residents become unemployed. We have work that needs to be done and the means to pay for it without increasing taxes. Senior levels of government are pumping money to the lower levels to help mitigate precisely these problems.
That is precisely not what we are doing with this budget.
It's why it does not have my support.
Tuesday was Budget night. The most important night of the year. From hence all things stem. Mine was the solitary vote in opposition. I regret that. There was no shortage of work and effort on the part of Councillors and staff to get the job done.
My reason was simple. I do not share the Mayor's priorities. In my book, the Corporation is not a Philanthropic Society or a Charitable Foundation. I believe people should be free to determine which charities they will or wont support. I don't appreciate someone else's hand in my pocket, filching my resources for charity and do good projects. Nor do I want it done to anyone else who has trusted me to represent their interest.
Tuesday's agenda exemplifies my concerns.
Notice had been served of a second workshop with the Integrity Commissioner. The meeting did not take place. No notice of cancellation was served. It simply was not mentioned again.
The first workshop was attended by all but three. The Mayor and Councillors MacEachern and Gallo were absent. Councillor Collins-Mrakas had served notice for an educational session prior to the Commissioner's request. At that time, Councillor MacEachern declared her opposition and stated she would not attend.
When the second session was called, the Councillor declared she would not attend because it was closed to the public. The meeting was nevertheless scheduled and then ...didn't happen. No reason given.
The budget provides for an Integrity Commissioner. Even with all members signed on save one, having it happen under these circumstances seems unlikely. An annual retainer of $12 thousand and $3 thousand to deal with complaints is itemized. Now that's weird. I understand the level of compensation for an Integrity Commissioner reflects legal fees and or a Judge's compensation as the norm.
It seems, either the program will not go forward or cost is vastly under-estimated. Either way the budget does not appear to be realistic.
My position on restoration of the Petch House is known. The budget figure was increased from $100 K to $108K. $8 thousand has apparently come from another source.$100k comes from the tax levy. No offset from development charge revenues. Privately, the word is, if the building survives the move, restoration will cost $200K and the building will be reduced from 450 to 200 sq.ft. That's about the size of a three-hole privy and a wood shed combined. How authentic is that?
Neil Garbe ,CAO, says if we do not undertake the project, we will simply pop the money into a reserve account. The sum swallows town taxes from approximately a hundred and thirty homes. Mr. Garbe comes to us from York Region.
$100K is more than Mr. Tree asked for part-time workers and casual full time employees for six months,to do work that needs to be done, at a time when some residents may badly need employment. We refused his request.
On Tuesday, the July 1st parade became a burden to taxpayers for the first time in its history. Heretofore, revenues have met its cost. But that took an Almighty volunteer effort to accomplish. It happened annually for almost forty years. But people get tired. A year of preparation over-laps from one to another. The Parade gradually diminished and was a pale shadow of its former glory.
One year I rode in a car with former Mayor George Timpson. George hid in the corner and I hung out the window waving. I'm not sure how much it contributed to the fun of the moment. But I was asked and I did it out of sympathy for the volunteer who was desperately trying to build a parade.
Staff eventually advised volunteer interest in continuing the responsibility had finally evaporated.On the other hand, celebrations at the Lambert Willson Park had grown proportionately. More families came to the park to participate in fun events and competitions starting earlier in the day, than watched the parade on Yonge Street. Change is hard. But sometimes it happens when you're not even trying.I thought that was a good time to rest the parade.
Then along came self-proclaimed Wonder Woman, Sher St. Kitts of Snowball Corners who declared she could give Aurora the finest parade ever seen. Now it seems the effort requires too much from Ms. St. Kitts. Taxpayers, at her demand, are to pay for the parade and town staff to carry the work load. It's happening in the 2009 budget.
On Tuesday night, still another outfit received $2700 worth of free time in a town facility . They run a Masters Lacrosse Tournament and make a charitable donation to another organization They sought free use of the facility to increase their donation. Last year,they raised $47,000. They were able to plump it up with free time at the facility..
$2700 revenue to the community centre would improve the bottom line of the facility's operation and help keep fees down for regular users.
We calculate operating costs and revenue to establish user fees for minor sports organizations. Who are also volunteers providing opportunities for young residents of our town. But for outsiders, we are giving it away. It's not my idea of good or fair fiscal management.
The budget recommended painting the ceiling of Community Centre #2. The item was deleted. Following direction from the Mayor, Neil Garbe our new CAO, accompanied by three other top officials inspected the ceiling and wrote a Memo for the record advising the recommendation was for the work to be done within three years. That was not the recommendation.
Hard times were frequently referenced by the Mayor during budget deliberations. Yet our town's economy is booming. Building continues and assessment revenues increase proportionately.
The national economic downturn may well mean residents become unemployed. We have work that needs to be done and the means to pay for it without increasing taxes. Senior levels of government are pumping money to the lower levels to help mitigate precisely these problems.
That is precisely not what we are doing with this budget.
It's why it does not have my support.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Another School Closing...Another Committee
The Mayor proclaimed "most of Council" present. The missing one? C'etais moi. I chose not to be there. I was elected to Council. School closings are not my business. I am a Separate School Board supporter. I have no right to involve myself in public school board decisions?
I understand parents do not want change. I have been in the position of having to tell parents what they do not want to hear. It is not nice. Nobody should do that if they don't have to.
I've heard stuff about that hundred year old building ... like mould growing throughout and students eating lunch on a grungy concrete floor in the basement. I remember how the hundred year old lavatory sewers smelled in Church Street School when the town took it over.I know people whose children are middle-aged who went to that school and they tell me the school was in bad shape then.
I don't have time to ask how many children are currently being bussed to Wells Street School from other parts of town. It's not my business
I do not understand why council had representation on a review committee of parents and trustee.Even less do I understand why it was Councillor John Gallo.
The building has been designated Heritage. Councillor Bob McRoberts is on the Heritage Committee as is Councillor Collins Mrakas. Both indicated an interest in participating on the committee. But the Mayor appointed a Councillor without connection except that he owes her his place at the council table.
Be that as it may. The Committee recommends that Wells Street School be demolished and a new one built.on the site
.
Now I am compelled to comment.
It is an entirely nonsensical idea.
When Wells St school was built, Aurora had its own school board. It was O.K. to use the park for a playground and close a street . It saved the taxpayers money ...lots of it.
It blows my mind that this committee had council representation yet the difficulties of re-building on that site were not foreseen. The Mayor was there. As was "most" of council . Yet none among them foresaw the obvious obstacles .The Mayor apparently received tumultuous applause when she gave wholehearted support to parents in their battle to save the school.
So now what happens? A commitment has been made to the Board of town support to re-build the school. Without any council debate. Do we now declare the street and park surplus to the Town's needs and sell them to the REGIONAL Board of Education to create an adequate site ? Do we bypass the rights of the community at large to have a say in the surrender of a street and a historic park in order to have a completely modern school built in their place?
We have agreed without apparent discussion to demolish a recently designated Heritage Building? Is it that easy?
The demolition and re-building of a school means interruption of an elementary program in that location of at least three years.
Some students will have progressed to high school. Young ones will start their school experience elsewhere. Populations shift. Passions fade. Elections will have been held.
What kind of logic went into the recommendation ? None at all that I can see. But there. there , why should that surprise anyone?
Saturday, 14 March 2009
I don't think so
The computer age will make a huge difference. Politicians will no longer be able to mislead people with inaccurate statements. Fact-checking will be readily available. Eric Schmidt, C.E.O. of Google, was talking to Charlie Rose in the second week of March when he made the comment.
Charlie had been in the Silicone Valley all week interviewing personalities in the World Wide Web industry. Mr. Schmidt spoke of his his three year old grandson. He said by the time he is eighteen, there will be so much information available on the web, it would take him until he is eighty-five to read all of it.
I thought, just how much and what kind of information will interest his grandson when he is eighteen, or any age. Will he be any different to to-day's eighteen year old?
Communities comprise a vast and wonderful variety of individuals. Some are interested in public affairs. They want to think about what they hear and read and decide for themselves what's relevant and what's not. They enjoy a good argument about thoughts and ideas. It stimulates their minds. .
Others don't. They want to believe everything is the way it ought to be. They have no wish to be disturbed. They want to mind their own business and get on with their lives. They don't think they can make a difference so they don't want the cage bars rattled and they especially dislike the rattlers..
Still others become furious when their own ideas are challenged. They respond with name-calling and hurling abuse at the offenders. They don't much care about facts. They are not inclined to check them out. They likely will not choose to accept facts if placed before them, let alone seek them out for themselves.
Mr. Schmidt, CEO of Google, undoubtedly knows a great deal about how the World Wide Web will evolve in fifteen years. It will disseminate information. It's been doing that for a while.
But people won’t change. They will still be an endless variety. Who knows the future impact of the web? I suspect things will continue as they always have. The pendulum will swing this way and that. The horrible determination of an insane leader like Adolf Hitler, or the instinct of a British Bulldog like Winston Churchill will be there when needed to pull us back from the brink.
An invention capable of instantly destroying the planet will continue to give us pause but Leaders will continue to send our sons, smooth-cheeked boys, barely out of childhood, to harsh lands and cultures we know little about, to kill and be killed.
Broken-hearted parents will continue to choke out through their tears. "That's what he always wanted to do" and find sense and solace in those words. The ones who survive will be haunted for the rest of their lives by experiences too terrible to talk about.
Leaders will continue to wax on eloquently about Courage and Glory and Commend their Sacrifice. The rest of us will simply hang our heads in hopeless submission and silent grief.
The World Wide Web will make a difference. .. but not so much maybe.
Charlie had been in the Silicone Valley all week interviewing personalities in the World Wide Web industry. Mr. Schmidt spoke of his his three year old grandson. He said by the time he is eighteen, there will be so much information available on the web, it would take him until he is eighty-five to read all of it.
I thought, just how much and what kind of information will interest his grandson when he is eighteen, or any age. Will he be any different to to-day's eighteen year old?
Communities comprise a vast and wonderful variety of individuals. Some are interested in public affairs. They want to think about what they hear and read and decide for themselves what's relevant and what's not. They enjoy a good argument about thoughts and ideas. It stimulates their minds. .
Others don't. They want to believe everything is the way it ought to be. They have no wish to be disturbed. They want to mind their own business and get on with their lives. They don't think they can make a difference so they don't want the cage bars rattled and they especially dislike the rattlers..
Still others become furious when their own ideas are challenged. They respond with name-calling and hurling abuse at the offenders. They don't much care about facts. They are not inclined to check them out. They likely will not choose to accept facts if placed before them, let alone seek them out for themselves.
Mr. Schmidt, CEO of Google, undoubtedly knows a great deal about how the World Wide Web will evolve in fifteen years. It will disseminate information. It's been doing that for a while.
But people won’t change. They will still be an endless variety. Who knows the future impact of the web? I suspect things will continue as they always have. The pendulum will swing this way and that. The horrible determination of an insane leader like Adolf Hitler, or the instinct of a British Bulldog like Winston Churchill will be there when needed to pull us back from the brink.
An invention capable of instantly destroying the planet will continue to give us pause but Leaders will continue to send our sons, smooth-cheeked boys, barely out of childhood, to harsh lands and cultures we know little about, to kill and be killed.
Broken-hearted parents will continue to choke out through their tears. "That's what he always wanted to do" and find sense and solace in those words. The ones who survive will be haunted for the rest of their lives by experiences too terrible to talk about.
Leaders will continue to wax on eloquently about Courage and Glory and Commend their Sacrifice. The rest of us will simply hang our heads in hopeless submission and silent grief.
The World Wide Web will make a difference. .. but not so much maybe.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Agenda Item Number 7
There were thirty on the Agenda of Tuesday's General Committee Meeting of Council. Item 7 was in response to a request from Councillor McEachern, stemming from a line item on the Parks Division of the Leisure Services Budget. On one evening, four hours were spent on that budget and still it was not completed. .
Item 7 on Tuesday, was a report that went from Page 108 to 124, complete with pictures.
The capital budget item in contention was $60k for benches, picnic tables and garbage receptacles. Councillor Wilson was convinced the cost was excessive.
We were advised the items were built in house by parks staff. The Councillor was certain the same items could be purchased at far less expense.
It was explained parks furniture was not something that could be purchased in a hardware store. Neither could they be be acquired from a supplier at a price competitive with the cost of building them to the standard needed to meet requirements in the town's own workshop. They need to be sturdy and not easy to shift.
No matter. The yammering rambled round and round and back and forth and finally Councillor MacEachern directed staff to provide Council with a detailed report outlining comparative prices.
Item 7 on Tuesday's Agenda was the result of that direction.
Three suppliers of items most similar to those required had been contacted.
Prices were listed and photographs of the product were provided as follows: $79,975. $90,650. $88,200. Taxes and shipping costs were not included and would be added later.
Town cost, with material and labour was $52,920. No taxes or shipping costs needed to be added .
On Tuesday, as is the norm, the chair asked for items to be called for discussion. Item 7, the report responding to the request for comparative costs was NOT called by Councillor MacEachern who initially directed it be provided.
It was sixteen pages long. Staff expended time obtaining submissions from suppliers and compiling them, with pictures, to explain to Councillors, how parks furniture can be constructed by town labour in a town workshop at less cost than the same product can be purchased from manufacturers, who are in business to make a profit and must charge sales and service tax and shipping costs to complete the deal.
The report slipped through without comment or question. As if it wasn't there. Like it had never been requested. Like staff advice had never been challenged. Like there had not been endless, tortuous, tedious, uninformed and erroneous argument about how it was not possible for that amount of parks furniture to cost that much money and how Councillors were so confident the same objective could be achieved at far less expense that the Parks Manager was required to do the research and submit to them in writing that he knew whereof he spoke or that they did not.
With ignorance matched only by arrogance, further town resources were expended in yet another useless exercise of compiling and writing still another report to take up space in the archives and be forever and a day conveniently forgotten and ignored.
Item 7 on Tuesday, was a report that went from Page 108 to 124, complete with pictures.
The capital budget item in contention was $60k for benches, picnic tables and garbage receptacles. Councillor Wilson was convinced the cost was excessive.
We were advised the items were built in house by parks staff. The Councillor was certain the same items could be purchased at far less expense.
It was explained parks furniture was not something that could be purchased in a hardware store. Neither could they be be acquired from a supplier at a price competitive with the cost of building them to the standard needed to meet requirements in the town's own workshop. They need to be sturdy and not easy to shift.
Item 7 on Tuesday's Agenda was the result of that direction.
Three suppliers of items most similar to those required had been contacted.
Prices were listed and photographs of the product were provided as follows: $79,975. $90,650. $88,200. Taxes and shipping costs were not included and would be added later.
Town cost, with material and labour was $52,920. No taxes or shipping costs needed to be added .
On Tuesday, as is the norm, the chair asked for items to be called for discussion. Item 7, the report responding to the request for comparative costs was NOT called by Councillor MacEachern who initially directed it be provided.
With ignorance matched only by arrogance, further town resources were expended in yet another useless exercise of compiling and writing still another report to take up space in the archives and be forever and a day conveniently forgotten and ignored.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Penny Wise Pound Foolish
A letter appeared taking the Town of Newmarket to task for having no evening recreation programs for children. The Town of Aurora on the other hand was commended by the Newmarket mother for the variety of programs offered here..
During Leisure Services budget discussions staff are cross-examined like culprits on the practice of hiring of part-time staff and incurring overtime costs. Explanations keep being repeated but the same questions are asked year after year.
When the above referenced letter was brought to Council's attention, I thought it would be an opportunity to establish the advantages of using part-time staff in preference to full-time for leisure programs. .
Children's programs historically have a high registration, especially pre-school. Additional program times have to be created to take care of the wait listed applicants.They are run by part-time staff and the high return rate of registrants attest to their hard work and popularity of the programs.
They are offered in many different locations; town facilities, schools and community businesses.
Space is increasingly becoming an issue with increased demand for more and new initiatives. But the part-time staff make it work.
When programs are planned, analysis forms are used to determine what the fees must be to
break even . No programs are run unless they break even or make a profit for the department.
Leisure Services 2008 came in at $340 thousand under budget.
In 2009, increased part-time and seasonal staff for parks are being dis-allowed.
There are increased parks and sports fields. They take care of boulevards and round abouts. Street trees and woodlots. The War memorial is their responsibility. They help out the Regional Food Network, The Arboretum. They shoulder the whole burden for Sheppard's Bush and many other places too numerous to list
Seasonal employees come with a variety of skills. Beautification projects are completed at minimal cost because of employee versatility. Full-time employees cost the town an additional thirty-per-cent over salary for benefits.Seasonal employees have no benefits.
Parks Manager, Jim Tree has been with the Town of Aurora since he and Norm Weller were the parks department. Street trees ( urban forest) maintenance and planting are his responsibility. During winter, his staff build park benches picnic tables and garbage holders.They operate a paint shop. They build nothing without checking out first what a comparable item would cost to buy.
We keep adding wood lots to our inventory. We haven't done wood lot management since we have had them but we keep hoping to get the staff to allow that to happen. Trails are also Parks' department responsibility.
Jim Tree hires students during school vacations and six month seasonal employees. He has requested several extra this year . He did an organisational study to precisely determine the man hours needed to perform the work required. Even with his budget request , he would still be undermanned. His recommendations were rejected.
We have a $712 thousand budget for Church Street School. We have an " environmental initiatives" engineer in the town works department. We will grant $10.thousand "patronage" to vendors in the Farmer's Market, We will give the Historical Society $50.thousand to hire a curator for a house that's only open by appointment in the tourist season.
We have increased revenue from growth in assessment , revenue from user fees of sport fields and other park facilities.
There will be an increase in taxes but we will not be investing what's needed to maintain our parks and public spaces to a proper standard during the months when Aurora families enjoy them the most. And they do use them
During Leisure Services budget discussions staff are cross-examined like culprits on the practice of hiring of part-time staff and incurring overtime costs. Explanations keep being repeated but the same questions are asked year after year.
When the above referenced letter was brought to Council's attention, I thought it would be an opportunity to establish the advantages of using part-time staff in preference to full-time for leisure programs. .
Children's programs historically have a high registration, especially pre-school. Additional program times have to be created to take care of the wait listed applicants.They are run by part-time staff and the high return rate of registrants attest to their hard work and popularity of the programs.
They are offered in many different locations; town facilities, schools and community businesses.
Space is increasingly becoming an issue with increased demand for more and new initiatives. But the part-time staff make it work.
When programs are planned, analysis forms are used to determine what the fees must be to
break even . No programs are run unless they break even or make a profit for the department.
Leisure Services 2008 came in at $340 thousand under budget.
In 2009, increased part-time and seasonal staff for parks are being dis-allowed.
There are increased parks and sports fields. They take care of boulevards and round abouts. Street trees and woodlots. The War memorial is their responsibility. They help out the Regional Food Network, The Arboretum. They shoulder the whole burden for Sheppard's Bush and many other places too numerous to list
Seasonal employees come with a variety of skills. Beautification projects are completed at minimal cost because of employee versatility. Full-time employees cost the town an additional thirty-per-cent over salary for benefits.Seasonal employees have no benefits.
Parks Manager, Jim Tree has been with the Town of Aurora since he and Norm Weller were the parks department. Street trees ( urban forest) maintenance and planting are his responsibility. During winter, his staff build park benches picnic tables and garbage holders.They operate a paint shop. They build nothing without checking out first what a comparable item would cost to buy.
We keep adding wood lots to our inventory. We haven't done wood lot management since we have had them but we keep hoping to get the staff to allow that to happen. Trails are also Parks' department responsibility.
Jim Tree hires students during school vacations and six month seasonal employees. He has requested several extra this year . He did an organisational study to precisely determine the man hours needed to perform the work required. Even with his budget request , he would still be undermanned. His recommendations were rejected.
We have a $712 thousand budget for Church Street School. We have an " environmental initiatives" engineer in the town works department. We will grant $10.thousand "patronage" to vendors in the Farmer's Market, We will give the Historical Society $50.thousand to hire a curator for a house that's only open by appointment in the tourist season.
We have increased revenue from growth in assessment , revenue from user fees of sport fields and other park facilities.
There will be an increase in taxes but we will not be investing what's needed to maintain our parks and public spaces to a proper standard during the months when Aurora families enjoy them the most. And they do use them
The Scrupulosity of an Amateur
I heard that phrase years ago from the altar at a Sunday Mass. The sermon is a blank. It was undoubtedly a warning about the dangers of thinking. It's a fabulous put-down. I was never deterred. In the public's business however, I form conclusions only after every question I can think of has been answered.
In the matter of preventive maintenance of the roof supports at the Community Centre, we know the Mayor ordered the CAO and other staff to advance upon the centre, establish conditions of the girders and place a written memo on the agenda of the next council meeting.
The CAO has done that. His memo states "there is absolutely no indication that the rust presents a critical life safety issue with this ceiling structure".
No-one suggested it did.
Management Team recommended $30.thousand in the budget to paint the girders as preventive maintenance.The item was subsequently deleted by council. I moved it be restored. The Mayor went berserk at this blatant challenge to her authority. The outcome was a memo from the Chief Administrative Officer which supported the Mayor's false contention that my contention that the community centre roof was in danger of collapse was not accurate.
Quite the process. Ethics come to mind; misuse of town resources is a phrase from the Code. The merits of dragging staff into a political debate is hardly worth noting but there it is. Leaving that to the side........for the moment...let us take up the merits of painting the girders to keep them in good condition.
The Leisure Services Budget was ready for presentation on September 16th 2008. Rust must have been visible prior to that date for the recommendation to have been made. It is now March 2009. At least half a year of rusting has gone by. According to current recommendations of staff the project can be deferred until the 2010 budget. By then two years or more will have passed since rust first became visible and before a contract can be awarded.
The CAO's memo states the situation will be monitored. Presumably, if conditions call for painting, $30.thousand will be found. It will not have been a figure in the budget. Why not? Will the estimate still hold in 2010? Or will the condition call for something more than painting?
When senior staff (four)went to the Community Centre at the Mayor's command, to determine if the roof was falling in, how exactly did they accomplish their task.? The memo doesn't say .Did they stand on the ice and gaze at girders? Did they climb on the railing behind the seats to get a closer look? Did they know what they were seeing? Unless I am mistaken,the Chief Administrative Officer of Aurora knows no more than I would, if "surface" rust had advanced to be a sufficient cause for concern. Why was he ordered to be there? Why did he go? Why was the advice of the Manager of Buildings not sufficient ? What's the game ?
Here's what we know; $30.thousand for preventive maintenance for an arena roof has been deleted from the budget by council. $108.thousand has been included to fix up a rotting structure that nobody needs and few care about.
I guess if enough clamour is made about a roof that's not falling in, taxpayers might not notice $108.thousand being allocated to a useless structure with a roof that caved- in years ago.All that's needed to keep the natives from thinking is to baffle them with bull shit.
I don't think so!
In the matter of preventive maintenance of the roof supports at the Community Centre, we know the Mayor ordered the CAO and other staff to advance upon the centre, establish conditions of the girders and place a written memo on the agenda of the next council meeting.
The CAO has done that. His memo states "there is absolutely no indication that the rust presents a critical life safety issue with this ceiling structure".
No-one suggested it did.
Management Team recommended $30.thousand in the budget to paint the girders as preventive maintenance.The item was subsequently deleted by council. I moved it be restored. The Mayor went berserk at this blatant challenge to her authority. The outcome was a memo from the Chief Administrative Officer which supported the Mayor's false contention that my contention that the community centre roof was in danger of collapse was not accurate.
Quite the process. Ethics come to mind; misuse of town resources is a phrase from the Code. The merits of dragging staff into a political debate is hardly worth noting but there it is. Leaving that to the side........for the moment...let us take up the merits of painting the girders to keep them in good condition.
The Leisure Services Budget was ready for presentation on September 16th 2008. Rust must have been visible prior to that date for the recommendation to have been made. It is now March 2009. At least half a year of rusting has gone by. According to current recommendations of staff the project can be deferred until the 2010 budget. By then two years or more will have passed since rust first became visible and before a contract can be awarded.
The CAO's memo states the situation will be monitored. Presumably, if conditions call for painting, $30.thousand will be found. It will not have been a figure in the budget. Why not? Will the estimate still hold in 2010? Or will the condition call for something more than painting?
When senior staff (four)went to the Community Centre at the Mayor's command, to determine if the roof was falling in, how exactly did they accomplish their task.? The memo doesn't say .Did they stand on the ice and gaze at girders? Did they climb on the railing behind the seats to get a closer look? Did they know what they were seeing? Unless I am mistaken,the Chief Administrative Officer of Aurora knows no more than I would, if "surface" rust had advanced to be a sufficient cause for concern. Why was he ordered to be there? Why did he go? Why was the advice of the Manager of Buildings not sufficient ? What's the game ?
Here's what we know; $30.thousand for preventive maintenance for an arena roof has been deleted from the budget by council. $108.thousand has been included to fix up a rotting structure that nobody needs and few care about.
I guess if enough clamour is made about a roof that's not falling in, taxpayers might not notice $108.thousand being allocated to a useless structure with a roof that caved- in years ago.All that's needed to keep the natives from thinking is to baffle them with bull shit.
I don't think so!
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble
Tuesday would have been a good night for the Integrity Commissioner to attend a council meeting. At the end of our education workshop in the previous week, Mr. Fitkin asked for comments in response to his presentation.
I thought perhaps he had not understood that Councillors have authority to exercise independent judgement. He responded with one word "collegiality". I assured him no such thing exists in Aurora Council.
On Tuesday after almost four hours of tortuous talk, I left the budget meeting when the Mayor had one of her episodes. She spontaneously erupts and rewrites the script to suit lines she has written for herself. From that point on, she is a one-woman production.
An earlier edition of the budget had included a figure of $30,000 to paint the ceiling of the Community Centre. Councillor Gaertner commented the rust was only on the surface - could painting not wait until next year?
Buildings Manager, Aaron Karmazyn answered yes it could but surface rust becomes penetrating rust. I understood from his answer, it's better to paint before rust penetrates.
On Tuesday night, we were looking at figures that eliminated a number of items, including painting the community centre ceiling. Given the opportunity, I moved the item be restored to the budget. I had some comments to bolster my arguments. It's what you do as a councillor. Councillor Wilson was highly amused. and laughed aloud.
The Mayor promptly took off on a trajectory of her own.She is the presiding member. There's no-one to call her to order. She ordered the Chief Building Official to advise on the condition of the ceiling. Ms. Van Leeuwen said she did not know and would defer to the Director of Leisure Services. He wasn't there. Nor was Mr. Karmazyn.
The Mayor contended I had claimed the Community Centre roof was in danger of collapsing and conditions were hazardous. At that point I concluded no rational discussion was possible. I left.
On Wednesday, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Building Official and Buildings Manager received orders from the Mayor to advance upon the community centre, inspect the ceiling forthwith and report back immediately to herself.
They did. Guess what? They found surface rust on the girders and the sprinkler pipes. Painting could wait until next year but they would continue to monitor the situation throughout the year.
The Mayor further ordered a Memo to that effect be included in next week's council agenda so that the public would be assured, there is absolutely no danger of the community centre's roof falling in.
The Mayor's communication to staff, cited my last Blog. It was reasonable to expect my argument to provide $30.thousand to contain rust on steel girders supporting the roof of the community centre would draw a reference to $108,000 dollars provided to restore a rotting, mouldering, crumbling old shack with no historical significance which has been sitting at the side of Leslie Street, steadily deteriorating, for five years because no one has a use for it.
I conclude the Mayor has a vested interest in not allowing the comparison be drawn in a public meeting.
I've been reading bits and pieces of Toronto's Code of Ethics. Compliance with the Procedure Bylaw and the Conflict of Interest Act are central to their Code.
Toronto and Vaughan and Aurora are the only municipalities with adopted Codes. Mr. Fitkin informed us one of them is a total failure. I don't have great hopes for ours either.
Mayor Morris and Councillor MacEachern didn't attend the educational workshop.
I thought perhaps he had not understood that Councillors have authority to exercise independent judgement. He responded with one word "collegiality". I assured him no such thing exists in Aurora Council.
On Tuesday after almost four hours of tortuous talk, I left the budget meeting when the Mayor had one of her episodes. She spontaneously erupts and rewrites the script to suit lines she has written for herself. From that point on, she is a one-woman production.
An earlier edition of the budget had included a figure of $30,000 to paint the ceiling of the Community Centre. Councillor Gaertner commented the rust was only on the surface - could painting not wait until next year?
Buildings Manager, Aaron Karmazyn answered yes it could but surface rust becomes penetrating rust. I understood from his answer, it's better to paint before rust penetrates.
On Tuesday night, we were looking at figures that eliminated a number of items, including painting the community centre ceiling. Given the opportunity, I moved the item be restored to the budget. I had some comments to bolster my arguments. It's what you do as a councillor. Councillor Wilson was highly amused. and laughed aloud.
The Mayor promptly took off on a trajectory of her own.She is the presiding member. There's no-one to call her to order. She ordered the Chief Building Official to advise on the condition of the ceiling. Ms. Van Leeuwen said she did not know and would defer to the Director of Leisure Services. He wasn't there. Nor was Mr. Karmazyn.
The Mayor contended I had claimed the Community Centre roof was in danger of collapsing and conditions were hazardous. At that point I concluded no rational discussion was possible. I left.
On Wednesday, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Building Official and Buildings Manager received orders from the Mayor to advance upon the community centre, inspect the ceiling forthwith and report back immediately to herself.
They did. Guess what? They found surface rust on the girders and the sprinkler pipes. Painting could wait until next year but they would continue to monitor the situation throughout the year.
The Mayor further ordered a Memo to that effect be included in next week's council agenda so that the public would be assured, there is absolutely no danger of the community centre's roof falling in.
The Mayor's communication to staff, cited my last Blog. It was reasonable to expect my argument to provide $30.thousand to contain rust on steel girders supporting the roof of the community centre would draw a reference to $108,000 dollars provided to restore a rotting, mouldering, crumbling old shack with no historical significance which has been sitting at the side of Leslie Street, steadily deteriorating, for five years because no one has a use for it.
I conclude the Mayor has a vested interest in not allowing the comparison be drawn in a public meeting.
I've been reading bits and pieces of Toronto's Code of Ethics. Compliance with the Procedure Bylaw and the Conflict of Interest Act are central to their Code.
Toronto and Vaughan and Aurora are the only municipalities with adopted Codes. Mr. Fitkin informed us one of them is a total failure. I don't have great hopes for ours either.
Mayor Morris and Councillor MacEachern didn't attend the educational workshop.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Go Figure
The Community Centre has a roof span equal to the ice surface plus a bank of seven rows of seats on all sides. The roof is arched. Under the foil- baffle-like material, there's a beautiful redwood ceiling. It had to be covered in a retrofit some years ago.
An arena environment is heavy with condensation. Ice is resurfaced with hot water several times during a game. Players sweat profusely. It drips off the ends of their noses and strands of their hair. It runs down the sides of their faces to drip off their chins. They shower in the arena. Gear is saturated when they finish a game. At home, it has to be spread everywhere to be dry enough for the next game. And Boy does it stink.
Spectators contribute moisture. There are seats for eight hundred. They wrap up warm against the cold and breathe into the atmosphere. Sometimes they get boisterous and shout and yell and pound the air with their fists.
In summer, there is no more moist air than inside an arena. Doors open do nothing to relieve the humidity.
At the ceiling, the steel girders supporting the roof of the Aurora Community Centre are showing signs of rust. Staff have recommended painting . They agree painting could be put off for a year. But surface rust becomes penetrating rust and then girders have to be replaced.
Arena roof collapses are not unusual in Ontario. The problem is common enough for there to be a government inspection program.
In the budget, thirty thousand dollars has been recommended to paint the girders holding up the roof of the Community Centre. At this point, it has been deleted.
Also in the budget, we have one hundred and eight thousand dollars to restore a rotting, mouldering. crumbling old shack of no historical significance, with a caved- in roof, which has been sitting at the side of a road for five years because nobody has a use for it.
But we cannot afford thirty thousand dollars to keep the steel girders supporting the roof of the Community Centre in good repair.
An arena environment is heavy with condensation. Ice is resurfaced with hot water several times during a game. Players sweat profusely. It drips off the ends of their noses and strands of their hair. It runs down the sides of their faces to drip off their chins. They shower in the arena. Gear is saturated when they finish a game. At home, it has to be spread everywhere to be dry enough for the next game. And Boy does it stink.
Spectators contribute moisture. There are seats for eight hundred. They wrap up warm against the cold and breathe into the atmosphere. Sometimes they get boisterous and shout and yell and pound the air with their fists.
In summer, there is no more moist air than inside an arena. Doors open do nothing to relieve the humidity.
At the ceiling, the steel girders supporting the roof of the Aurora Community Centre are showing signs of rust. Staff have recommended painting . They agree painting could be put off for a year. But surface rust becomes penetrating rust and then girders have to be replaced.
Arena roof collapses are not unusual in Ontario. The problem is common enough for there to be a government inspection program.
In the budget, thirty thousand dollars has been recommended to paint the girders holding up the roof of the Community Centre. At this point, it has been deleted.
Also in the budget, we have one hundred and eight thousand dollars to restore a rotting, mouldering. crumbling old shack of no historical significance, with a caved- in roof, which has been sitting at the side of a road for five years because nobody has a use for it.
But we cannot afford thirty thousand dollars to keep the steel girders supporting the roof of the Community Centre in good repair.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Fences in Fields
A few issues have jumped out at people during the budget deliberations. One was the proposed new baseball field, another an additional librarian and third, the matter of a fence in a park. Once it was established the high cost of the baseball field was the result of specific direction, on a resolution by Councillors MacEachern and Granger, the scramble was on to calm public indignation and garner support for a new field at less cost
Council received a letter from Ron Weese, beneficiary of the Soccer Bubble, the artificial turf and head of the Sport Council formed immediately before and for the purpose of the election. The Sports Council supports the new baseball facility.Two years late,I'd say.
The librarian needed to provide and maintain current level of service to a larger population has been hung out in cold, like a Victorian orphan and child of an unmarried mother. Two thirds of Aurorans use the library. They are obviously not organized to make themselves heard In a Town study a couple of years ago. it was determined the library was the most appreciated Town service.
The third item that caught public attention is relatively minor and likely to go by the board.
Fences in parks are not unusual. The Town Park has a fence around the baseball field.At one time a white picket fence surrounded the park. It was removed for the Horse Show and replaced after. One year we decided the park was nicer without it. The fence was left off and later, after the Horse Show transferred ,a chain link fence enclosed the ball diamond.
Lambert Wilson Park has a fence around sports field. Sheppard's Bush also has one around the artificial turf. In Confederation Park a soccer field, half on school property and half in the park is enclosed by a fence. The Separate School Board spent $110.thousand to construct the soccer field. They requested the fence to protect their investment. Council agreed.
During consideration the parks budget, fences in the park suddenly became a horrible idea to this council. Without further ado or explanation, the item was moved below the line. It's a monopoly-like game we play when we pore over budget figures.
In the eighties, the province crunched down on school board spending. In turn, Boards reduced outside facilities. They bought less land than they needed. Why not when they had easy access to town parks. Confederation, in my own neighborhood, is a shameful example of how a park has been whittled away to provide teachers' parking, school bus turn-arounds and sports fields with fences.
Generally school boards spend minimally on playgrounds and sports fields, none at all on maintenance and the result is a complete waste of money. Within a year, the fields are totally degraded
Day after day, pounding by students and teachers alike, who take over town sports fields without permits and without regard for weather and the abuse renders a town field representing a substantial town investment in construction and maintenance , as useless as the board's own.
Fences are a means of control, a solution to the problem and needed to protect the quality of the field and the financial investment of the municipality.
On August 12th, 2008 ,Council approved construction of a soccer field in Norm Weller Park which included perimeter fencing. Construction of the soccer field is underway. Cost of that fence grabbed council's attention during budget discussion. Mayor Morris has referred to “fences to save parks from the public ” thereby confirming the public erroneous impression the plan is to fence off the parks so the public can't use them. How ridiculous is that? The item has been deleted or “moved below the line”. At this point in the game, I am no longer sure which.
Council received a letter from Ron Weese, beneficiary of the Soccer Bubble, the artificial turf and head of the Sport Council formed immediately before and for the purpose of the election. The Sports Council supports the new baseball facility.Two years late,I'd say.
The librarian needed to provide and maintain current level of service to a larger population has been hung out in cold, like a Victorian orphan and child of an unmarried mother. Two thirds of Aurorans use the library. They are obviously not organized to make themselves heard In a Town study a couple of years ago. it was determined the library was the most appreciated Town service.
The third item that caught public attention is relatively minor and likely to go by the board.
Fences in parks are not unusual. The Town Park has a fence around the baseball field.At one time a white picket fence surrounded the park. It was removed for the Horse Show and replaced after. One year we decided the park was nicer without it. The fence was left off and later, after the Horse Show transferred ,a chain link fence enclosed the ball diamond.
Lambert Wilson Park has a fence around sports field. Sheppard's Bush also has one around the artificial turf. In Confederation Park a soccer field, half on school property and half in the park is enclosed by a fence. The Separate School Board spent $110.thousand to construct the soccer field. They requested the fence to protect their investment. Council agreed.
During consideration the parks budget, fences in the park suddenly became a horrible idea to this council. Without further ado or explanation, the item was moved below the line. It's a monopoly-like game we play when we pore over budget figures.
In the eighties, the province crunched down on school board spending. In turn, Boards reduced outside facilities. They bought less land than they needed. Why not when they had easy access to town parks. Confederation, in my own neighborhood, is a shameful example of how a park has been whittled away to provide teachers' parking, school bus turn-arounds and sports fields with fences.
Generally school boards spend minimally on playgrounds and sports fields, none at all on maintenance and the result is a complete waste of money. Within a year, the fields are totally degraded
Day after day, pounding by students and teachers alike, who take over town sports fields without permits and without regard for weather and the abuse renders a town field representing a substantial town investment in construction and maintenance , as useless as the board's own.
Fences are a means of control, a solution to the problem and needed to protect the quality of the field and the financial investment of the municipality.
On August 12th, 2008 ,Council approved construction of a soccer field in Norm Weller Park which included perimeter fencing. Construction of the soccer field is underway. Cost of that fence grabbed council's attention during budget discussion. Mayor Morris has referred to “fences to save parks from the public ” thereby confirming the public erroneous impression the plan is to fence off the parks so the public can't use them. How ridiculous is that? The item has been deleted or “moved below the line”. At this point in the game, I am no longer sure which.
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Comments Galore
Conflict of Interest legislation is not straightforward . Only a councillor can decide whether or where there is personal conflict. If a charge is filed only a Judge can make the decision if there was indeed a Conflict. It's a classic example of government sleight of hand and smoke and mirrors.It looks like a response to public clamour. It isn't.
A couple of terms ago, a Mayor of East Gwillimbury was charged with a Conflict. Lawyers no doubt argued the case from both sides. The Judge found he did the deed. He also found it was not deliberately intended. No penalty was imposed. The mayor was no longer in office. It would be hard to estimate the damage to his personal reputation A Toronto Separate School Trustee was thrown off his seat and banned from running for public office for ten years. I would think, after that experience ,not running for public office for ten years might not be much of a hardship.
Only lawyers benefited from the exercise.
When George Rust D'Eye was retained by Aurora to "investigate" confidential information "leaked" to the press, he inquired if I had retained counsel. I inquired back, why would I do that? He implied there might be a "conflict" if I attended an in- camera meeting and heard something that might be to my financial advantage if I were to be charged with something or other or anything at all and it would be a very serious matter. I think the Mayor didn't want me at the meeting. But I went.
Here lies irony.The current Mayor and a Councillor of East Gwillimbury accepted Mr. Rust D'Eye's advice in the "offence" of playing Joe Lumberjack at Sharon Temple a year or so ago. They jointly hired legal counsel.They stayed out of in-camera meetings. We never heard the final tally of municipal cost. At an early stage it was over $11 thousand. The Mayor and Councillor were never charged with anything but on the advice of George Rust D'eye, they did have legal costs. Council was decimated. The community was in an uproar. In the end ,they determined to rally to replace what was removed by the Mayor's trusty chain saw at the request of The Temple Curator on a balmy Saturday morning. All was forgiven and East Gwillimbury apparently lives happily ever after.
We never heard if the Silly-Billy Trustees of Sharon Temple decided to sue the Municipality.It's my understanding, East Gwillimbury provides external maintenance to the property.It would be an act of utter foolishness to jeopardise that relationship.
I learned something new at the time of the much trumpeted "leak" in Aurora. If a person ,as a result of being a councillor, is charged with something requiring legal defense, the municipality is obligated to cover the cost .The principle applies also to an official of a private corporation. I informed Aurora's Director of Corporate Services of my understanding. He responded he knew nothing about that.
Last week, the Integrity Commissioner informed us of the failed status of the Code of Ethics in a municipality which shall be nameless. Three separate Commissioners have been appointed since the Code was adopted a couple of years ago. Councillors routinely fail to enact punitive decisions of the Commissioner. They are entitled to legal counsel when a complaint is filed against them Costs average between $20. and $40 thousand dollars. The Municipality shoulders legal cost of the Commissioner and the Councillor who has been complained about.The financial burden is substantial and who but the taxpayer pays that penalty.
Integrity Commissioner Fitkin informed us he has been meeting with "the committee" Mayor Morris and CAO Neil Garbe. They have been creating an agreement. One of which is that Aurora Councillors, unlike others, will not be entitled to a defense at Municipal expense.
Even if it was a properly constituted committee ,with terms of reference adopted by Council, I suspect that decision is not theirs to make.
A couple of terms ago, a Mayor of East Gwillimbury was charged with a Conflict. Lawyers no doubt argued the case from both sides. The Judge found he did the deed. He also found it was not deliberately intended. No penalty was imposed. The mayor was no longer in office. It would be hard to estimate the damage to his personal reputation A Toronto Separate School Trustee was thrown off his seat and banned from running for public office for ten years. I would think, after that experience ,not running for public office for ten years might not be much of a hardship.
Only lawyers benefited from the exercise.
When George Rust D'Eye was retained by Aurora to "investigate" confidential information "leaked" to the press, he inquired if I had retained counsel. I inquired back, why would I do that? He implied there might be a "conflict" if I attended an in- camera meeting and heard something that might be to my financial advantage if I were to be charged with something or other or anything at all and it would be a very serious matter. I think the Mayor didn't want me at the meeting. But I went.
Here lies irony.The current Mayor and a Councillor of East Gwillimbury accepted Mr. Rust D'Eye's advice in the "offence" of playing Joe Lumberjack at Sharon Temple a year or so ago. They jointly hired legal counsel.They stayed out of in-camera meetings. We never heard the final tally of municipal cost. At an early stage it was over $11 thousand. The Mayor and Councillor were never charged with anything but on the advice of George Rust D'eye, they did have legal costs. Council was decimated. The community was in an uproar. In the end ,they determined to rally to replace what was removed by the Mayor's trusty chain saw at the request of The Temple Curator on a balmy Saturday morning. All was forgiven and East Gwillimbury apparently lives happily ever after.
We never heard if the Silly-Billy Trustees of Sharon Temple decided to sue the Municipality.It's my understanding, East Gwillimbury provides external maintenance to the property.It would be an act of utter foolishness to jeopardise that relationship.
I learned something new at the time of the much trumpeted "leak" in Aurora. If a person ,as a result of being a councillor, is charged with something requiring legal defense, the municipality is obligated to cover the cost .The principle applies also to an official of a private corporation. I informed Aurora's Director of Corporate Services of my understanding. He responded he knew nothing about that.
Last week, the Integrity Commissioner informed us of the failed status of the Code of Ethics in a municipality which shall be nameless. Three separate Commissioners have been appointed since the Code was adopted a couple of years ago. Councillors routinely fail to enact punitive decisions of the Commissioner. They are entitled to legal counsel when a complaint is filed against them Costs average between $20. and $40 thousand dollars. The Municipality shoulders legal cost of the Commissioner and the Councillor who has been complained about.The financial burden is substantial and who but the taxpayer pays that penalty.
Integrity Commissioner Fitkin informed us he has been meeting with "the committee" Mayor Morris and CAO Neil Garbe. They have been creating an agreement. One of which is that Aurora Councillors, unlike others, will not be entitled to a defense at Municipal expense.
Even if it was a properly constituted committee ,with terms of reference adopted by Council, I suspect that decision is not theirs to make.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Robert....You were asking
The building is commercial on the first floor, parking on a second and condos above. It's a beautiful building and the fifth time a design has been submitted for this corner. Every time the application has been abandoned because of council demands for reduced height and density.
This time the Heritage Advisory Committee recommended it be reduced to five storeys. It's of no consequence to them that a building has to be economically viable or it will not be built. They are all about preserving the ambiance of the past. It's not their money and it's not their property but they have the power. In their minds, they can justify comments like "loving the village core." Aurora stopped being a village in 1863 when it became a vibrant.progressive urban municipality
and gave itself a new name meaning "The Dawn".
The nay-sayers can also contemplate tax increases with complete equanimity. They can vote for a Combined Board Hearing for a golf course development which has been estimated will cost half a million dollars. They can add financial support from the town to a legal request from neighbours of the proposed golf course for a Combined Board Hearing. And they sublimely reject the opportunity to bring in substantial new revenue with the Yonge and Centre development proposal.
The Mayor wasn't there last night. Despite her multiple-whereas ed Proclamation on this being the Year of Business Initiative. The result last night is exactly what was accomplished four times previously on this site.
As to your question about the quality of my Scotch. My sons give me single and double malt on Birthdays and at Christmas. My stash has been depleted. I am back to imbibing Johnny Red and it's taking a bit of getting used to. But I shall persevere. I have to. I can hardly make a case for need to enjoy single or double malt whiskey. a mere fraction of the age of the mouldering, rotting shack, sitting forlornly at the side of the road south of Wellington on Leslie Street known fondly by some as the Petch House.
This time the Heritage Advisory Committee recommended it be reduced to five storeys. It's of no consequence to them that a building has to be economically viable or it will not be built. They are all about preserving the ambiance of the past. It's not their money and it's not their property but they have the power. In their minds, they can justify comments like "loving the village core." Aurora stopped being a village in 1863 when it became a vibrant.progressive urban municipality
and gave itself a new name meaning "The Dawn".
The nay-sayers can also contemplate tax increases with complete equanimity. They can vote for a Combined Board Hearing for a golf course development which has been estimated will cost half a million dollars. They can add financial support from the town to a legal request from neighbours of the proposed golf course for a Combined Board Hearing. And they sublimely reject the opportunity to bring in substantial new revenue with the Yonge and Centre development proposal.
The Mayor wasn't there last night. Despite her multiple-whereas ed Proclamation on this being the Year of Business Initiative. The result last night is exactly what was accomplished four times previously on this site.
As to your question about the quality of my Scotch. My sons give me single and double malt on Birthdays and at Christmas. My stash has been depleted. I am back to imbibing Johnny Red and it's taking a bit of getting used to. But I shall persevere. I have to. I can hardly make a case for need to enjoy single or double malt whiskey. a mere fraction of the age of the mouldering, rotting shack, sitting forlornly at the side of the road south of Wellington on Leslie Street known fondly by some as the Petch House.
Library Memo
The following memo explains better than I can why a librarian needs to be added this year.
Page 1
Page 2
Council has authority to cut the board's budget. I'm convinced it's been discusssed and decided by a select few before the scheduled meetings. Councillors have typewritten questions on the desk in front of them.
The Library Board's budget is a simple document. We buy books put them on the shelves and open the doors and provide whatever assistance users need. Two-thirds of the population are members of the library.
Like town outside workers, library staff are unionized. Salaries are negotiated. I learned last week a librarian earns about the same as a town labourer. Like schools, salaries are between seventy and eighty per cent of the budget.
Anyone interested in the cost of library services and how they arise would find the budget straightforward and easy to access.
Page 1
Page 2
Council has authority to cut the board's budget. I'm convinced it's been discusssed and decided by a select few before the scheduled meetings. Councillors have typewritten questions on the desk in front of them.
The Library Board's budget is a simple document. We buy books put them on the shelves and open the doors and provide whatever assistance users need. Two-thirds of the population are members of the library.
Like town outside workers, library staff are unionized. Salaries are negotiated. I learned last week a librarian earns about the same as a town labourer. Like schools, salaries are between seventy and eighty per cent of the budget.
Anyone interested in the cost of library services and how they arise would find the budget straightforward and easy to access.
In the wee small hours of the morning
It's one o'clock .in the morning. I came home from the Town Hall at eleven-thirty p.m. I had been there since 6 pm.The first hour was an educational session about ethics.The last four were spent dealing with a single application for an amendment to the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
A development group called Kaitlin presented plans to build a spectacularly beautiful building on the corner of Yonge and Centre Street. With their money. On their property . It is six storeys high at Yonge Street and reduces to a storey and a half as it climbs the slope on Centre Street
It means millions of dollars of investment in our down town exactly opposite the supermarket which has been vacant for months. For thirty-five years the corner has been a total blight. Before then it was occupied by a shabby run-down shack not much better that the Petch House
known as the Yates property. I can't remember if it was demolished or simply fell down of its own accord.
We have gone through the process with this site before....four times. Last time the project got as far as approval in principle. After we had shaved and pared from the height and reduced the number of suites, the property went straight back onto the market and .... pouffe ...the plan disappeared.
To-night we again spent four hours listening and then debating a resolution moved by myself and seconded by Councillor Collins Mrakas to approve the project in principle. Such a motion authorises staff to work with the applicant, taking into consideration all comments of the public and councillors and strive to come to an agreement.
At ten-minutes -to-eleven Councillor Bob McRoberts read something about " love of the village core" and declared he wanted a storey removed from the building . Councillor Collins Mrakas withdrew her support for our motion and I up and left.
I am going to have another Scotch on the rocks now.
A development group called Kaitlin presented plans to build a spectacularly beautiful building on the corner of Yonge and Centre Street. With their money. On their property . It is six storeys high at Yonge Street and reduces to a storey and a half as it climbs the slope on Centre Street
It means millions of dollars of investment in our down town exactly opposite the supermarket which has been vacant for months. For thirty-five years the corner has been a total blight. Before then it was occupied by a shabby run-down shack not much better that the Petch House
known as the Yates property. I can't remember if it was demolished or simply fell down of its own accord.
We have gone through the process with this site before....four times. Last time the project got as far as approval in principle. After we had shaved and pared from the height and reduced the number of suites, the property went straight back onto the market and .... pouffe ...the plan disappeared.
To-night we again spent four hours listening and then debating a resolution moved by myself and seconded by Councillor Collins Mrakas to approve the project in principle. Such a motion authorises staff to work with the applicant, taking into consideration all comments of the public and councillors and strive to come to an agreement.
At ten-minutes -to-eleven Councillor Bob McRoberts read something about " love of the village core" and declared he wanted a storey removed from the building . Councillor Collins Mrakas withdrew her support for our motion and I up and left.
I am going to have another Scotch on the rocks now.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
I just remembered
I have no filing system. Every time I need something I have to turn over a pile of pages one by one. I was looking this morning for stuff about the sports fields in our parks that need to be fenced and I came across a list of invoices for legal services. They reminded me of a question I asked in the budget meeting last Saturday.
If the Court orders a Consolidated Board on the Westhill Golf Course proposal, legal costs will be double that of a normal hearing. A Consolidated Board would take at least twice as long.. Cost estimate is half a million dollars. Mine was the solitary vote in opposition to that piece of insanity. Neighbouring residents were taking the matter to court at their expense as was their right. There was no requirement for the town to spend taxpayers resources in that action.
Last Saturday I asked if we had the half million dollars in the budget,in the event a Consolidated Board Hearing. is ordered. (three government agencies preside).
The Mayor responded we should not speculate. I indicated I had asked a precise question. I was seeking an exact answer. If I didn't get it, I would speculate.
The Treasurer's answer.... if needed the funds will be taken from a legal reserve of $200, thousand. An estimate of $500.thousand has been made for legal costs alone if a Consolidated Board is granted. If there was sufficient conviction to expend funds for legal costs to support the need, in my view, sufficient funds to cover costs for such a Hearing, need to be included in the 2009 budget. Not adding them in doesn't mean they won't be spent. It means the budget forecast will be deflated. It will not reflect the reality of what this council is about.
If the Court orders a Consolidated Board on the Westhill Golf Course proposal, legal costs will be double that of a normal hearing. A Consolidated Board would take at least twice as long.. Cost estimate is half a million dollars. Mine was the solitary vote in opposition to that piece of insanity. Neighbouring residents were taking the matter to court at their expense as was their right. There was no requirement for the town to spend taxpayers resources in that action.
Last Saturday I asked if we had the half million dollars in the budget,in the event a Consolidated Board Hearing. is ordered. (three government agencies preside).
The Mayor responded we should not speculate. I indicated I had asked a precise question. I was seeking an exact answer. If I didn't get it, I would speculate.
The Treasurer's answer.... if needed the funds will be taken from a legal reserve of $200, thousand. An estimate of $500.thousand has been made for legal costs alone if a Consolidated Board is granted. If there was sufficient conviction to expend funds for legal costs to support the need, in my view, sufficient funds to cover costs for such a Hearing, need to be included in the 2009 budget. Not adding them in doesn't mean they won't be spent. It means the budget forecast will be deflated. It will not reflect the reality of what this council is about.
Furthermore...About the Library...
Thank You Robert the Bruce. I intended to acknowledge a flurry of messages from friends and family that schools do have libraries. Your input rounds out the picture.
Children's services in the Aurora library includes youth up to 18 years. Schools are open during school hours. Students of all ages come to the public library for assistance.Computers and software are an integral part of the service. Staff have instructional skills that teachers do not. The resource is invaluable to schools.
Not all Aurora families are able to provide all resources for their children. Library membership is in excess of thirty-thousand. The library helps to equalise opportunity. Anyone not in the habit of using the service would be amazed by changes over the years. One has to be well behind the times not to appreciate its essential relevance.
Indications are Councillor Gallo's question was assigned. A pattern of orchestration has been noted throughout the budget process.
Children's services in the Aurora library includes youth up to 18 years. Schools are open during school hours. Students of all ages come to the public library for assistance.Computers and software are an integral part of the service. Staff have instructional skills that teachers do not. The resource is invaluable to schools.
Not all Aurora families are able to provide all resources for their children. Library membership is in excess of thirty-thousand. The library helps to equalise opportunity. Anyone not in the habit of using the service would be amazed by changes over the years. One has to be well behind the times not to appreciate its essential relevance.
Indications are Councillor Gallo's question was assigned. A pattern of orchestration has been noted throughout the budget process.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Keep a Civil Tongue in Your Head
A reader recently noted the increase in number of comments and, in contrast to the Aurora Citizen" which is going downhill" they are civil. . It's not a coincidence. I censor comments. I make no bones about it. I don't publish the nasties. As far as I can tell, they are promptly thrown into the hopper at the Aurora Citizen.
I started the blog hoping for input. At first I printed every comment. Then I thought, wait a minute, why should I provide space to people who only want to vilify me. That's dumb.
So I stopped publishing the rancorous and hostile. But it turns out not to be so simple because some comments have rancorous and hostile things to say about other people. But if they have something to add to the debate, I publish them. It puts me on shaky ground.
I am trying to find a balance. The last comment to the "Budget Matters" post made me feel really bad.
So now I have this to say:
Of course I want you to write what you think. I just want you to do it without criticising what I think. I am not your enemy.
The budget is humongous this year. It hasn't been approved yet. There's a ton of stuff I don't think we should be doing.. All the grant money coming from the two senior levels of government, the reduction in the Region's bite, again no increase for education, and new taxes coming in from new homes and industrial and commercial buildings, means we should be striving for no increase at all in our tax rate.
I think we should add staff at the library to take care of new library users. I think extra miles of roads and sidewalks will have to be plowed and maintained and it will cost more.
I think recreation facilities should be adequately staffed to bring in more revenue so they don't cost an arm and a leg running up deficits.
I think we should use money we collected for the purpose from developers to buy land for recreational needs and provide facilities so Aurora taxpayers don't have to go to Newmarket to play sports.
I think it's insane to even think about spending a hundred thousand dollars on a rotting mouldering old shack that's no use to anybody and has no historical significance.
I don't think we should be giving the Historical Society $50.thousand dollars so they can have a curator and a half for an old house that's only open by appointment from May to September.
I don't think we should be spending $140 thousand dollars to study Yonge and Wellington so that we can tell property-owners how they should spend their own money.They are doing a pretty god job of it themselves without any help from the town.
I don't agree with hiring four full-time people complete with benefits, to sit in the Church Street School during office hours and make like they're operating an Arts and Culture Centre so the Mayor can cavort like the Queen of Culture and Clothes Lines. with Councillor Evalina MacEachern as Chancellor.
The Province spends a ton of tax money protecting the environment. South Lake Simcoe Conservation Society has environmental responsibility for creeks and waterways. They spend millions of our tax dollars. They have no other function. The region has responsibility to protect the environment as well and we all know how easily money flows up there.They have a special conduit for our tax dollars.
The town has no business hiring an environmental engineer on top of the one we already have to study "environmental initiatives". The combined salary and benefits of both and their support staff won't be much less that half a million dollars. I think that's a scam.
I don't think you should accuse me of not caring about you because you don't agree with me about whether or not we need an additional librarian.
I do want you to contribute and be read by others who read and contribute to the blog. I want your friends and neighbours to contribute as well. Let's get a good conversation going. All I ask you is, as my mother (often) told me and no doubt yours did too, "Keep a civil tongue in your head" Write what you think .Use the strongest language you know.Just don't call me names and accuse me of not caring.
I bloody well do.
I started the blog hoping for input. At first I printed every comment. Then I thought, wait a minute, why should I provide space to people who only want to vilify me. That's dumb.
So I stopped publishing the rancorous and hostile. But it turns out not to be so simple because some comments have rancorous and hostile things to say about other people. But if they have something to add to the debate, I publish them. It puts me on shaky ground.
I am trying to find a balance. The last comment to the "Budget Matters" post made me feel really bad.
So now I have this to say:
Of course I want you to write what you think. I just want you to do it without criticising what I think. I am not your enemy.
The budget is humongous this year. It hasn't been approved yet. There's a ton of stuff I don't think we should be doing.. All the grant money coming from the two senior levels of government, the reduction in the Region's bite, again no increase for education, and new taxes coming in from new homes and industrial and commercial buildings, means we should be striving for no increase at all in our tax rate.
I think we should add staff at the library to take care of new library users. I think extra miles of roads and sidewalks will have to be plowed and maintained and it will cost more.
I think recreation facilities should be adequately staffed to bring in more revenue so they don't cost an arm and a leg running up deficits.
I think we should use money we collected for the purpose from developers to buy land for recreational needs and provide facilities so Aurora taxpayers don't have to go to Newmarket to play sports.
I think it's insane to even think about spending a hundred thousand dollars on a rotting mouldering old shack that's no use to anybody and has no historical significance.
I don't think we should be giving the Historical Society $50.thousand dollars so they can have a curator and a half for an old house that's only open by appointment from May to September.
I don't think we should be spending $140 thousand dollars to study Yonge and Wellington so that we can tell property-owners how they should spend their own money.They are doing a pretty god job of it themselves without any help from the town.
I don't agree with hiring four full-time people complete with benefits, to sit in the Church Street School during office hours and make like they're operating an Arts and Culture Centre so the Mayor can cavort like the Queen of Culture and Clothes Lines. with Councillor Evalina MacEachern as Chancellor.
The Province spends a ton of tax money protecting the environment. South Lake Simcoe Conservation Society has environmental responsibility for creeks and waterways. They spend millions of our tax dollars. They have no other function. The region has responsibility to protect the environment as well and we all know how easily money flows up there.They have a special conduit for our tax dollars.
The town has no business hiring an environmental engineer on top of the one we already have to study "environmental initiatives". The combined salary and benefits of both and their support staff won't be much less that half a million dollars. I think that's a scam.
I don't think you should accuse me of not caring about you because you don't agree with me about whether or not we need an additional librarian.
I do want you to contribute and be read by others who read and contribute to the blog. I want your friends and neighbours to contribute as well. Let's get a good conversation going. All I ask you is, as my mother (often) told me and no doubt yours did too, "Keep a civil tongue in your head" Write what you think .Use the strongest language you know.Just don't call me names and accuse me of not caring.
I bloody well do.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Budget matters
The Library Board came to Council's budget meeting on Saturday.Their budget includes an increase for an additional librarian for children's services. Because of the town's growth, they have been unable to meet all the requests for services from various community groups which is part of their mandate.
There are four new schools coming on stream, including a high school on Wellington Street. At the start, the high school will have six hundred students which will grow to thirteen hundred as grades are added. They will be within walking distance of the library which means Children's Library Services will be under even more pressure than that which we are currently unable to meet.
Councillor Gallo pointed out schools have their own libraries and librarians. The claim startled me. I haven't had children in the school system for several generations but I understood the Province had literally wiped out school libraries with cuts in funding some years ago. Librarian Louise Procter-Maio, confirmed my understanding .So that settles the matter. The board cannot provide necessary service without an additional librarian. From a cost perspective it is certainly cheaper to provide a librarian in the town library than one in every school in town.
Growth means increased revenue. New homeowners pay their share of taxes. I would argue development charges paid when permits for new homes are issued, means they pay more. Ninety-per-cent of the cost of new facilities are funded from D.C.revenues. .
A puerile little comi- drama was played out in council a couple of weeks ago. Councillor Collins-Mrakas and myself were asked to explain a year-end surplus in the Board's collection budget. The question was posed by Councillor Wilson, who also serves on the Library Board. To the obvious amusement of the other side of the table, including the Mayor, we were unable to provide the answer. The board had not received the year-end financial statement of the library. It had been forwarded to the Town Treasurer. and obviously pre-viewed by Councillor Wilson and the Mayor.
The town reduced the library budget last year. An allowance for an increase in the collection could not be made which meant the previous year's level of service could not be maintained. I argued we should not be setting up a new arts and culture program if we couldn't afford to maintain the one we had.
I voted against the town budget for that reason. There were others but that's where I chose to hang my hat.
There were reasons for the surplus. The librarian was new to the library. The year was almost half over by the time the budget was approved. Libraries are subject to publishers' schedules.. Orders are placed but there's no control of timing for deliveries.If books are not received before year end, payment is not made.
There are four new schools coming on stream, including a high school on Wellington Street. At the start, the high school will have six hundred students which will grow to thirteen hundred as grades are added. They will be within walking distance of the library which means Children's Library Services will be under even more pressure than that which we are currently unable to meet.
Councillor Gallo pointed out schools have their own libraries and librarians. The claim startled me. I haven't had children in the school system for several generations but I understood the Province had literally wiped out school libraries with cuts in funding some years ago. Librarian Louise Procter-Maio, confirmed my understanding .So that settles the matter. The board cannot provide necessary service without an additional librarian. From a cost perspective it is certainly cheaper to provide a librarian in the town library than one in every school in town.
Growth means increased revenue. New homeowners pay their share of taxes. I would argue development charges paid when permits for new homes are issued, means they pay more. Ninety-per-cent of the cost of new facilities are funded from D.C.revenues. .
A puerile little comi- drama was played out in council a couple of weeks ago. Councillor Collins-Mrakas and myself were asked to explain a year-end surplus in the Board's collection budget. The question was posed by Councillor Wilson, who also serves on the Library Board. To the obvious amusement of the other side of the table, including the Mayor, we were unable to provide the answer. The board had not received the year-end financial statement of the library. It had been forwarded to the Town Treasurer. and obviously pre-viewed by Councillor Wilson and the Mayor.
The town reduced the library budget last year. An allowance for an increase in the collection could not be made which meant the previous year's level of service could not be maintained. I argued we should not be setting up a new arts and culture program if we couldn't afford to maintain the one we had.
I voted against the town budget for that reason. There were others but that's where I chose to hang my hat.
There were reasons for the surplus. The librarian was new to the library. The year was almost half over by the time the budget was approved. Libraries are subject to publishers' schedules.. Orders are placed but there's no control of timing for deliveries.If books are not received before year end, payment is not made.
Ergo.on the books, a surplus.... in Council.... a churlish childish tit-for-tat and game of one-up-man-ship with library services as the pawn.
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Whose Blog Is It Anyhow?
Visits have increased substantially. Whatever else it proves, it indicates people are interested in town affairs when town affairs are interesting.
Comments have spiked. Some do not contribute to debate so they are not posted. Why would I print hateful things friends of my enemies have to say about me?
I posted the one above to illustrate how spin evolves. He appears to be offering a compromise. He refers to me as Buck and repeats his contention that I have misled the community.
This term numerous lawyers have been retained because of something or other I have said in my authority as Councillor. It has been claimed I created the need for legal expenditures to protect the town from potential litigation. The Mayor repeatedly stated allegations had been made against a Councillor and the town might be sued. Presumably by a Councillor.
George Rust-D'Eye was paid $16,200 because a story appeared in the Auroran about the refusal of a request to sell land to the Regional Police for Police Headquarters in an in-camera meeting. The story appeared months after the decision. Long past time when it should have been reported out. It was just naturally assumed the culprit was known. Moi. Ce n'était pas moi.
Come to think of it, they never did report out the decision that cost Aurora the Regional Police Headquarters. It was kept a secret. As were George Rust D'Eye's $16,200 worth of "investigative" findings.
I believe I know the writer of the introductory comment. His name has been in the news lately. He's the only member of the cabal with any communication skills. He is close advisor and spinmeister supreme and Hell will freeze over before he twists and turns like a whirlygig in my space.
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I recently published a personal and unkind post about Councillor Wilson. A couple of hours later, overcome with remorse, I removed it. This weekend it was posted as a comment to the Aurora Citizen....twice. Councillor Wilson apparently did not see it when it was posted initially. A "friend" sent it to him. Was I the target of that particular piece of mischief or was Councillor Wilson?
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There have been comments in this blog about Councillor MacEachern's intelligence. Let me say; the Councillor is intelligent, intense and puts a great deal of effort into her responsibilities. She can be thoughtful and kind and not without humour. Children delight her.
Her skills involve private sector financial control. She is sufficiently confident to inspect roads recommended for reconstruction and advise council the work is not required. She exercises the same confidence in every town department.
Town budgets are heavily influenced by the Councillor.
Public Works overspent their budget in 2008 by half a million dollars. We learned of that tardily, accompanied by quite a juxtaposition of figures to hide how the failure came about.
We have $10.2 million dollars in a reserve account which can only be used for recreational purposes.Last year it was $9.million. Needed facilities have been repeatedly deleted from the budget even though the funds are available and can only be used for such a purpose.
We need to purchase land for future sports facilities. No more is being manufactured. But that too is repeatedly deleted from budgets. Councillor MacEachern has indicated it is better to keep the money and have it earn interest than spend it.
When the level of service in any area of the town's operation is reduced, we cannot claim the same need in new development charge calculations. From that perspective, holding the money in a reserve account to earn interest is misappropriation of funds.
The Councillor has a leadership role. Her skills are undeniable. Her adamant refusal to acknowledge expertise other than her own is a liability to the municipality.
The Councillor is intelligent, hard-working and completely confident her management is superior to anything found in the municipal corporation. She handles opposition poorly. We have new Directors in almost every town department. It remains to be seen how they succeed in the current environment.
There is a common perception in private business that public business is always mismanaged
It's wrong.
Friday, 20 February 2009
While We Are On The Subject of Conflict
Another odd thing happened at Council recently. Councillor Gaertner applied for and received $1 thousand grant for the Hot Spot Club. The Councillor created the club and has operated it for fourteen years.
It's a Friday night dance and gathering facility for young people within an age group. It has been financed from Bingo funds for years and an admission charge. I'm not sure if there's a membership. It is a not-for-profit enterprise which does not mean remuneration is not being paid.
Councillor Gaertner declared a Conflict of Interest which indicates a personal financial interest, when the item came up for consideration. She did not participate in the deliberation. Staff recommended the grant be provided.
There are conditions for receiving a grant. Financial statements must be provided and seventy-five per cent of participants must be from Aurora. The application was considered at committee.
The problem occurred to me later. I made a phone call in the morning to determine if the Conflict had occurred to staff." Absolutely" was the answer, "But it's not our place to advise a Councillor there's a Conflict."
I sent an e-mail and asked for a response before the matter came to Council for confirmation. I was advised my question had been referred to the legal department. We did not have a lawyer on staff. Haven't had for a year or more.
I received no answer.
The Conflict of Interest Act is intended to ensure public officials do not use their position to benefit themselves financially. It strikes me it is not enough to refrain from participating in the deliberation. Asking for the money in the first place created the Conflict.
I didn't say it in Council because I 'm not sure I 'm right. I may be the only one with misgivings. In fact, in committee Councillor MacEachern and Mayor Morris both raised the possibility of providing regular financial assistance to Hot Spot.
I had a problem with Councillor Gaertner's ownership of Hot Spot once before. In the last term, Leisure Services Advisory Committee was considering use of space in the old library building. Councillor Gaertner was a member of the committee and participated in creating a formula to determine which groups contributed most and were most deserving. I thought that was weird as well but that's what they did.
After the formula was created , Councillor Gaertner made an application, declared a conflict of interest, and was granted space. I argued then the Conflict happened during participation in the formula and fee creating stage but it was like spitting into the wind. Thinking like that has won me the reputation for being the nastiest person alive.
Councillor Gaertner is not a calculating individual. She would not knowingly exploit her position to gain a financial advantage. At the same time....that may have happened.
Councillors cannot receive advice from the town solicitor. They must retain a lawyer and make their own decision. It seems there is no advice for Council either. Public funds can be granted which should not be received. Gut instinct tells me that can't be right.
It's a Friday night dance and gathering facility for young people within an age group. It has been financed from Bingo funds for years and an admission charge. I'm not sure if there's a membership. It is a not-for-profit enterprise which does not mean remuneration is not being paid.
Councillor Gaertner declared a Conflict of Interest which indicates a personal financial interest, when the item came up for consideration. She did not participate in the deliberation. Staff recommended the grant be provided.
There are conditions for receiving a grant. Financial statements must be provided and seventy-five per cent of participants must be from Aurora. The application was considered at committee.
The problem occurred to me later. I made a phone call in the morning to determine if the Conflict had occurred to staff." Absolutely" was the answer, "But it's not our place to advise a Councillor there's a Conflict."
I sent an e-mail and asked for a response before the matter came to Council for confirmation. I was advised my question had been referred to the legal department. We did not have a lawyer on staff. Haven't had for a year or more.
I received no answer.
The Conflict of Interest Act is intended to ensure public officials do not use their position to benefit themselves financially. It strikes me it is not enough to refrain from participating in the deliberation. Asking for the money in the first place created the Conflict.
I didn't say it in Council because I 'm not sure I 'm right. I may be the only one with misgivings. In fact, in committee Councillor MacEachern and Mayor Morris both raised the possibility of providing regular financial assistance to Hot Spot.
I had a problem with Councillor Gaertner's ownership of Hot Spot once before. In the last term, Leisure Services Advisory Committee was considering use of space in the old library building. Councillor Gaertner was a member of the committee and participated in creating a formula to determine which groups contributed most and were most deserving. I thought that was weird as well but that's what they did.
After the formula was created , Councillor Gaertner made an application, declared a conflict of interest, and was granted space. I argued then the Conflict happened during participation in the formula and fee creating stage but it was like spitting into the wind. Thinking like that has won me the reputation for being the nastiest person alive.
Councillor Gaertner is not a calculating individual. She would not knowingly exploit her position to gain a financial advantage. At the same time....that may have happened.
Councillors cannot receive advice from the town solicitor. They must retain a lawyer and make their own decision. It seems there is no advice for Council either. Public funds can be granted which should not be received. Gut instinct tells me that can't be right.
To further complicate things ,the application and the grant were made after the 2008 books were closed, In public financing, money not spent by year end cannot be spent. period. In accounting parlance, they no longer exist.
I frankly suspect, though the recommendation came from staff. the decision was made at another level.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Once More With Feeling
The purpose of this Blog is to informally inform. A daily journal would be a lugubrious read. I don't keep a checklist. of events. Most posts are triggered by something else - like the one about the Vaughan Councillor who declared a Conflict and set off alarm bells and may have jeopardised the municipal interest. The circumstance reminded me of something in Aurora almost eighteen months ago and prompted me to write about it..
It's not my official function to tell tales but I don't have to keep secrets either. People appreciate reading about them though I am often accused of seeking to bring this Mayor and Council down.
Well no...I don't have to do that. They need no help from me.They have been making that clear since day one of this term of office. There is no collegiality to be destroyed. I am left with only one role to perform.... which I do...gleefully. I am one of the ways the word gets around.
Politics is not a science. Leadership is intuitive. If one has the intuition,one learns by doing. People teach you what they expect from you. if you have the sense to listen. They provide the opportunity to learn. If you learn well, their trust is returned and your life is forever enriched by the experience.
Each member of council is separately accountable. There is no collective, no party politics, nowhere to hide. . Councillors do not answer to each other. They answer to the electorate. Every day.
I have provided information of an event not reported elsewhere The truth of it has been challenged. For anyone sufficiently interested in verifying the fact, I have indicated where to find it.
. .
If I copied the material in the Blog that too could be challenged. I am not going to do that.
Check Application for Judicial Review ,Number 499-07..Item No. 51. in Divisional Court of Ontario in Toronto by Osgoode Hall. It can also be read in the office of the Director of Corporate Services at the Aurora Town Hall. It is a public document of record but .it may require a request for Freedom of Information for which there is a fee of $5.
.
You Were Asking
The Document on file at the court is Application for Judicial Review 499-07. The case will be heard next month at the Divisional Court by Osgoode Hall in the city. The documents cannot be viewed on line.
Anyone interested would have to make the trip. But a Freedom of Information application to the Town's Department of Corporate Services costs $5.00. I am not completely sure how it works. The $5 probably allows you to view the entire file. Likely there's a charge for each page of copy requested. It might be a good idea to make an appointment.
There has already been one hearing. The applicant requested the town make further documents available. The judge found the request unreasonable and awarded costs against them.
We pay costs for defending the action. If we lose, there will likely be an application for costs from the other side. In that event, we would have to pay their costs as well.
I don't imagine we are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the principle applies across the board. It's why councillors are regularly reminded to keep lips buttoned to protect the municipality's interest. If we are not responsible for that, who is?
It's why we are required to swear the Oath of Office before we are allowed to take the seat to which we were elected. It is not an empty ceremonial. We legally bind ourselves to do all things necessary to protect the Municipality's interest. We are legislators, just as they are in Queen's Park and in the Federal Parliament.
Going off half cocked because you think you know better than anyone else, including professional staff appointed to advise, sooner or later is bound to bring a person to grief.
Councillor MacEachern is not much inclined to take advice from anybody.
Anyone interested would have to make the trip. But a Freedom of Information application to the Town's Department of Corporate Services costs $5.00. I am not completely sure how it works. The $5 probably allows you to view the entire file. Likely there's a charge for each page of copy requested. It might be a good idea to make an appointment.
There has already been one hearing. The applicant requested the town make further documents available. The judge found the request unreasonable and awarded costs against them.
We pay costs for defending the action. If we lose, there will likely be an application for costs from the other side. In that event, we would have to pay their costs as well.
I don't imagine we are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the principle applies across the board. It's why councillors are regularly reminded to keep lips buttoned to protect the municipality's interest. If we are not responsible for that, who is?
It's why we are required to swear the Oath of Office before we are allowed to take the seat to which we were elected. It is not an empty ceremonial. We legally bind ourselves to do all things necessary to protect the Municipality's interest. We are legislators, just as they are in Queen's Park and in the Federal Parliament.
Going off half cocked because you think you know better than anyone else, including professional staff appointed to advise, sooner or later is bound to bring a person to grief.
Councillor MacEachern is not much inclined to take advice from anybody.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Furthering The Discussion
Anonymous said:
If this can be verified - that Councillor MacEachern sent information to the lawyers of people who had a beef with the Town (were going to sue the town?) - then this is a very very serious matter and I am truly shocked that the Town's lawyer has not taken the necessary steps to address this on behalf of the residents of Aurora. Why didn’t the Lawyer advise the Councillor not to do that? Why the heck didn’t the CAO do something about it too?? With all due respect – what the heck is going on over there???
If this is true, then I cannot believe that the Councillor has been allowed to sit there for months after betraying the trust of the community she serves.Of all the nonsense that goes on with this Council, (and many of you have been guilty of one thing or another) - this is by far the worst.
I am dumbfounded
How can we as residents do something about this?Please don't tell me we have to wait until election time. That is not good enough.
We do need to do something RIGHT NOW...But first I need confirmation that what you are saying is true...You said that the documents are public? How can we get a copy???
No offence, but I’d like to see for myself.
If this is true, then I cannot believe that the Councillor has been allowed to sit there for months after betraying the trust of the community she serves.Of all the nonsense that goes on with this Council, (and many of you have been guilty of one thing or another) - this is by far the worst.
I am dumbfounded
How can we as residents do something about this?Please don't tell me we have to wait until election time. That is not good enough.
We do need to do something RIGHT NOW...But first I need confirmation that what you are saying is true...You said that the documents are public? How can we get a copy???
No offence, but I’d like to see for myself.
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It should not be assumed that Chief Administrative Officer John Rogers and the Town Solicitor did not do their job. Neither are currently in the employ of The Town of Aurora.
The documents I refer to have been filed in the Court in an appeal against a decision of the Town to order the removal of a fence. I know it as the Blue Grass Fence issue.
David Atkins, Acting Director of Public Works who advised Council on the matter is no longer in the employ of the Town of Aurora.
Bob Panizza, Director of Corporate Affairs, who liaised in the matter between Council, Town Solicitor , Chief Administrative Officer and Mr. Atkins is no longer in the employ of the Town of Aurora.
Charges against elected officials under the Municipal Act are not common and are usually filed by a resident.
Appointed staff do not prosecute charges against elected officials. Except for Statutory Officers, they are subject to the authority of elected officials. Appointed Officials provide expert professional advice to Councillors who are not obliged to accept it.
It is not the convention for elected officials to take legal action against one another. They probably could and there may be examples, but my gut instinct tells me one reason they wouldn't is the likelihood such an action would be seen as political and given less credence as a consequence. To be honest, I have never encountered such a circumstance.
The Department of Municipal Affairs is the appropriate agency to provide advice and answers to inquiries.
It should not be assumed that Chief Administrative Officer John Rogers and the Town Solicitor did not do their job. Neither are currently in the employ of The Town of Aurora.
The documents I refer to have been filed in the Court in an appeal against a decision of the Town to order the removal of a fence. I know it as the Blue Grass Fence issue.
David Atkins, Acting Director of Public Works who advised Council on the matter is no longer in the employ of the Town of Aurora.
Bob Panizza, Director of Corporate Affairs, who liaised in the matter between Council, Town Solicitor , Chief Administrative Officer and Mr. Atkins is no longer in the employ of the Town of Aurora.
Charges against elected officials under the Municipal Act are not common and are usually filed by a resident.
Appointed staff do not prosecute charges against elected officials. Except for Statutory Officers, they are subject to the authority of elected officials. Appointed Officials provide expert professional advice to Councillors who are not obliged to accept it.
It is not the convention for elected officials to take legal action against one another. They probably could and there may be examples, but my gut instinct tells me one reason they wouldn't is the likelihood such an action would be seen as political and given less credence as a consequence. To be honest, I have never encountered such a circumstance.
The Department of Municipal Affairs is the appropriate agency to provide advice and answers to inquiries.
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Rumors are rumors and as such they are always orphans. That is why I made it clear that it was a rumor. But you're right. We do everyone a disservice by spreading rumors. I will get the document and review it for myself and report back to this blog (hopefully this weekend).
If Buck is correct, she'll be vindicated. And I'll say that here. I think you'll agree this is fair.
If the rumors are true, I hope Buck publishes by comment and I certainly expect an apology from her for misleading the people of Aurora.
Stay tuned.