"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 13 April 2011

Bibs and Bobs

 Hi Evelyn, I hope that you post something today about your motion last night to spend $50K restoring Whitchurch's firewood pile (also known as the Petch house). Didn't see that coming.

BTW, loved your words re: "St. Kitts Press release". Nice to see some trepidation around the table as well, save for Cllrs. Ballard and Gaertner. Maybe people are starting to get it. Better late than never on this one

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Nobody slid off their chairs  in amazement last night when I put forward the motion for a report from staff about a possible location within the town's park system and a practical and economical plan to restore the Petch House.

It wasn't all that surprising because I gave notice of the motion a couple of weeks ago.

I did so because we have a $50Ks commitment from the Smart Centre developers to re-locate the building and do whatever  else we can  with what is left over.

If we don't do it we forfeit $50Ks. I expect it will cost that and more.And we did get  $8Ks from an anonymous donor. With parks staff doing the work and a suitable  use and location we may come out ahead.

Forfeiting $50Ks goes against the grain. Just getting rid of the structure could not be done without cost.

Our parks staff have many skills. They  are perfectly capable, under direction. of doing  the work themselves. Mr. Van Nostrand of Vandorf  has already restored a twin of this building . He sourced the boards  to re-place  rotted  material and re-located the building to a site in Lindsay.

I've seen it. It is beautiful.

If we have a place for  this one , where it can be used  and enjoyed and its  asset value realised. I don't think that's a bad idea.

So I have asked Council to consider it. They agreed. I'm still getting used to my motions being given fair consideration . It's nice.

On the other hand. the St Kitts family music business is still getting $5Ks of your tax money to finance a concert  promotion in the town park. You will still be paying  an admission charge. Your park will still be fenced off for a week-end. There will be vendors in our park, not paying a permit fee to the town.
Likely filling the coffers of the St.Kitts family  music business.

Councillor  Abel did a fair amount of homework on the situation. Discovered the town is receiving no recognition on their publications. That was supposed to be what we  were to get for the so-called platinum sponsorship.  But  Councillor Abel's  new information  wasn't able to change anything.

Seems Susan Walmer was in communication with the Chief Administrative Officer about the deal .  Word on the street is Litigation Lizzie  is also part and parcel of the entire boondoggle.

That would explain Gaertner,Gallo and Ballard support. Don't know what to tell you about the rest.

I received a cartoon in an e-mail this morning. It was a two -storey outhouse. Upstairs for politicians.Downstairs for taxpayers. I copied and pasted it. But the picture didn't come through.

 Sorry!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was very grateful for the homework that Councillor Abel did and for putting the issue on the agenda. I was not at all impressed by other councillors whose comments implied that he had no right to raise this for discussion. It was good to hear Councillor Thompson's support for the need to keep track of what happens to our money and whether we get back what was agreed upon.
It is good to know that there are others, besides you, who are minding the store so that things are in order and not overlooked.
Some of the others seem to care less how money is frittered away.
I guess that's because it's not theirs!!

Anonymous said...

"not theirs"?
Are the councillors not taxpayers of this realm?

Anonymous said...

They are indeed but what fun to spend everybody's money and not just your own!!

Anonymous said...

Why was Gallo so obsessed with whether the cameras were rolling or not when Councillor Abel raised his issue?
What is his problem????