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

Wednesday 10 February 2010

It's a good day to be A MInority Of One

It's a good day for singing a song
It's a good day for movin' along
It's a good day .How could anything be wrong?
It's a good day from mornin till night

I googled the words and got Peggy Lee singing. I listened a few times and feel even better.

The latest Divisional Court decision was an add-on to last night's meeting

There have been two Ontario Municipal Board and two Divisional Court hearings. None accepted the argument the Westhill Development proposal should be sent to a Joint Board Hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board and the Ministry of the Environment.

Y' all may recall, council's decision to reject our planners' advice and deny outright Westhill's application to build a golf course and seventy-five condominiums on both sides of Leslie Street in March 2008. It was an eight to one vote.

People say I do it just to be contrary. I want to draw attention to myself. It's because of my personal hostility towards the Mayor. I'm too old to be on council. I am not relevant any more. I am dazed and confused.

The planning report before us was in preparation for the OMB hearing already in the works. The property is lawfully designated for development. It is situated in the Moraine. Staff had serious concerns about particular aspects of the proposal. It was important to prepare a solid argument to ensure the concerns were addressed. Mr. Beaman, solicitor- at- law .was on hand that night to advise council.

Instead he received different instructions.

Eight members of Council decided to go the route of petitioning for a Joint Board Hearing.

Four hearings and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, we are back at the point we were in March 2008. The OMB hearing is still before us with a cost estimate of $200.000.

Figures were provided without asking behind closed doors. Invoices were not attached. Do I think the figures are complete? Sorry. I can't give you that assurance.

Have we stopped spending money as if we had a mint in the town hall basement? Sorry, I can give you no assurance on that score either.

But.

It's a good day for singing a song
It's a good day for movin' along.
Any day I'm proven to be right
It's a good day from mornin' to night.

5 comments:

Goodie Two Shoes said...

So you are saying that the GOS have been told by for courts exactly what was told from the get go and you were the only one who knew where it would end up. Thousands of taxpayer dollars and nothing to show for it. Nothing, nada, zilch Amen my friends. Thank-you once again Evelyn for keeping us informed! Thats the Petch house and now this! What comes next to bite them in the ass?

Goodie Two Shoes said...

So you are saying that the GOS have been told by for courts exactly what was told from the get go and you were the only one who knew where it would end up. Thousands of taxpayer dollars and nothing to show for it. Nothing, nada, zilch Amen my friends. Thank-you once again Evelyn for keeping us informed! Thats the Petch house and now this! What comes next to bite them in the ass?

Anonymous said...

I understand our friends over at the Aurora Citizen are compiling a humungous spreadsheet of all the time and money wasted by the Mayor and her cronies.
Here is one more item for them.

Anonymous said...

Had a friend send me a poem sent to you but not posted.

Too bad you're so into freedom of speech for ONLY you.

Can't communicate with one sided people.

Goodie Two Shoes said...

Hey if Evelyn didn`t post your friends poem there must have been a good reason not to. Could not have been very friendly judging by your remarks. Sounds like you have a few sour grapes being carried around with you.Your friend should take Evelyn`s advice if she wants to post her ideas and poems on a web page, get her own and post whatever she wants without any fear!