Now that the municipal election is over it\u2019s time for the new Council to make some changes to how they conduct business.<\/p>\n
There definitely needs to be an improvement in communication with the public and some recent decisions made by the outgoing Council need to be looked at with a new vision. Can some of the decisions be reversed or altered to make them more practical? That depends in part on how far those decisions have progressed.<\/p>\n
For instance, the decision to close Needler\u2019s Lane was not well thought out. There was apparently no consideration given to the consequences of that decision.<\/p>\n
First of all it eliminated a lot of parking spaces which are desperately needed in the downtown. It cut off an alternate thoroughfare east and west through or around downtown, of which there were only three. Now when there is an event that closes King Street the only choice is Union to Center to Tupper and back to King.<\/p>\n
If there was ever an emergency that closed the intersection by the post office there would be two ways to get around downtown. Either Carveth to Zion Line or Tapley Quarter Line to Fallis Line.<\/p>\n
Also on November 11 when the Remembrance Day ceremony is underway King Street will be closed and traffic will be trying to navigate the King Union intersection where there will be a crowd of people. That also disturbs a very important event. I know it is only once a year for about an hour or so but it is an event that commands our respect. If Needler\u2019s Lane had remained open there would be a way to get through town without interfering with the ceremony. Traffic could be routed via Cavan Street to Anne Street and Needler\u2019s Lane. Although this had not been oficially done in the past we have no idea how many vehicles used that route in previous years.<\/p>\n
No thought was given to how closing the street might affect deliveries to the Home Hardware as well as a resident of the municipality who has a permit to draw water from Baxter Creek beside that street and will no longer be able to access that location.<\/p>\n
If polled I bet the public could come up with more adverse consequences to the decision to close Needler\u2019s Lane. Hearing from the public on major decisions can only improve the end result.<\/p>\n
The plan is to install a patch of grass which will best serve the geese from the mill pond. Is there a plan to deal with those geese? I suspect not.<\/p>\n
In addition, if the mold in the old arena had been dealt with when it was first discovered it could have been cleaned up at a much lower cost than what it cost to tear it down. Not to mention the fact that apparently water lines in the area now have to be replaced. It is unclear if those water lines would have had to be replaced anyway but that seems immaterial at this point.<\/p>\n
The township was approved for a total of $706,368 combined provincial and federal funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to renovate the old arena into a multipurpose community hub. That was in April of 2021. The township was responsible for an additional $257,632 for a total budget of $966,000. Where did that money go? Was it never actually received because the work was never done? The latter seems most likely.<\/p>\n
Could the arena have been demolished leaving the concrete floor which could have served as an outdoor ice pad in the winter and a basketball court the rest of the year? I\u2019m sure resident of this community could have come up with a host of other suggestions if they had been consulted.<\/p>\n
Decisions like this should be subject to a full open public meeting with ample notice so members of the public can plan to attend. Such meetings should be on the specific topic and not just part of a regular Council meeting. Perhaps it would be advisable to hold both an afternoon and evening meeting to accommodate as many people as possible. The public should not be the ones inconvenienced.<\/p>\n
For what it\u2019s worth, that\u2019s my view from the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Now that the municipal election is over it\u2019s time for the new Council to make some changes to how they conduct business. There definitely needs to be an improvement in communication … Continue reading