The Diary volume six

June 27th to September 23rd 2001

September 23rd 2001
new this week:
ramblings

Not much time to write the ramblings, then there is not much to ramble on about except the different reactions to the American Tragedy.

First a couple of your letters:
A comment on my comments about seeing a local politician's car in the fast lane of the 401 obviously over the speed limit.
"Funny how the present government is afraid to break their promise on photo radar when they have bent, misshapen and broken most of their other promises.
A few months ago I travelled across the US, from Michigan, south to central Illinois and thence to Oregon. In every state, cars drove at 65 mph and trucks at 55 mph.
Hardly ever, did anyone go over that limit. And why? Not because Americans are any more moral and civic minded than Canadians, but because the police were out in force, handing out tickets which one has to pay on the spot, by VISA if necessary. If you don't pay, I gather you head for the slammer. Well, if Dr. Galt won't even consider photo radar, he had better fight for many more police to enforce the speed limit because as soon as the trucks crossed over into Sarnia and Ontario, these same law-abiding drivers speeded up to 120+ k per hour. It makes us look like a laughing stock. I don't really like photo radar either but I like to live and each trip on 401 is a Russian roulette game.
But if Mr. Steve doesn't abide by the rules, why should anyone else?"

Secondly a comment about the Jubilee Park situation
"What did the Town pay again,for the (CN) sliver of land at the Harbour? $600.000???? Can the members of Council,who voted on that purchase,inform the public of their thinking when disposing of Jubilee Park,for the paltry sum of $30.000....our Community's Gateway (the $17,500 study has yet to be concluded)? Is there something wrong with our water,Ben?"

Thirdly praise for Councillor DeVeau, something I want to echo, she looks good on this one.
"She deserves a lot of credit for not voting for the Jubilee Park
arrangement: as a rookie on Council she showed an understanding that decisions must make sense,from a public perspective.....hope the press will pursue the many questions raised . A bouquet should go to Gail de Veau for standing up for the public interest."

Whilst we're on this one it is alright for Lloyd Williams to say he will vote against it but as the coordinator of transportation he should refuse to even handle it. But the deal is done and anyone who has seen the new seeding on the manicured surface must realise that that design was built into the original engineering drawings three years ago. The fix was in a long time ago and just slipped past the public in a matter of minutes a couple of weeks ago.

Moving on to the next public meeting, the Parks Study to be discussed in public on Wednesday evening coming.
Councillor Bill MacDonald will be introducing the results of the consultant's report concerning the Parks and Recreation master Plan. He has been quoted as saying " We need to look at the way we do Parks because they are looking tired." Well conceivably 3.2 million dollars later we could be looking at no public swimming pool, no wading pool,, a moved bandshell, an encroachment into Victoria Park by the Lawn Bowling club and user fees to use the water spray! Some improvement. This plan is the epitome of bureaucracy gone mad. We have a consultant looking at the Parks and Recreation plan because it is ten years old. They recommend items for change because they have to justify getting the money they get and the Council had to adopt the recommendations because that's what councils do in the face of consultants's reports. This meeting on Wednesday should be the chance to say the status quo is pretty good and leave well alone. Digressing , if I was a resident near to the Victoria Park I would be pulling my hair out at the decibel level of the events that go on there. Living on University Avenue I can hear most of the noise up here. I can't imagine the level right next to it. Especially if you hate rock and roll and C & W music!!

I hear that the Walmart decision is pretty close to being here, no indication on which way it is going yet.

To comment on Provincial affairs, congratulations to the NDP on their by-election win in the Beaches. Don't believe what you hear about the narrow win. The NDP received over 50% of votes cast! The nasty bit about Bob Hunter's book and whether he likes to cavort with 12 year olds only being fiction and the resulting threat of lawsuits and the ire of the Liberal's being raised will only set the tone for the next couple of years leading up to the next election. That's good because the sooner people realise that as of now the only reason to vote for the Liberals is to get rid of Mike Harris. What's the point of getting rid of Mikey if you get to keep all of his policies! "Harris lite" really is the label that will stick to McGuinty unless he changes and promises to repeal a lot of Tory legislation. He should promise to get rid of the 60 hour week for starters and bump the minimum wage.

So now we have a company named to build the hospital and guess what it wasn't the non-union one - they had the highest bid. But something is still rotten in Denmark because some of the trades took a 15% pay cut to get the job. So the threat of a non-union company getting the job scared the unions and they caved during the bidding process. I think now they should send their business agents back in and get the hospital foundation to issue tax receipts for the lost 15% as every day they work they will be making payroll deductions to the cause! - 30 -
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September 16th 2001
new this week
opinion column
a page devoted to unicycling (read below to find out how this got here)

I went to the meeting about the Diversey property this week and I thought a film festival had broken out! In a hall filled with 40 people, the MC (the mayor) introduced us to a cornucopia of visual delights. To the fanfare "Chariots of Fire", and a spotlight demonstration worthy of the Hollywood Bowl, we were then shown a video of a deserted industrial building and a website, click here to see what all the fuss was about (The CAUSE advisory committee website). But back to the meeting! After the Mayor implored us all that he wanted to hear "your suggestions", and he did, he made the peculiar statement that "We have had over 200 surveys back, not even CAUSE had that many" Well I would go check your figures Peter. CAUSE tell me they had over 300! The upshot of the meeting was that opinion was split between those who wanted to think big (they wanted commercial activities specifically hotels/convention centres/arena) and those who wanted green space and the old building preserved. But those of us who argued that a process be set in place before we start this adventure so that all ideas can be properly evaluated heard little encouragement from the Mayor for that. It was almost as though we have fulfilled the box on the workplan that is called "hold public meeting"

Our local and beloved newscaster (or bingo-caller to use a Frank mag label) John Russell opened his mouth just a bit too soon, but in a humourous and loving way last week. Whilst trying to ad-lib a bit about his frustration with his son learning how to ride his bike John offered to learn how to ride a unicycle. He then compounded the offer into a real challenge by stating that not only will he learn to ride the machine but he will ride from Port Hope to Cobourg for the United Way!
Well! that picture couldn't be ignored so I have jumped on the bike too. I have told him I will ride my bike with him and want publishing rights to his efforts. So to start here is a page of hints of how to get started. Pictures of John to follow!

How about that Spooner guy, he is determined to get his Hall of Fame. He wants a Cobourg Sports Hall of Fame and is certainly pulling out all the stops for it. We have had more advertising for this than the last election. I guess he feels that nobody will come so he'd better spend some money making them aware.

Again doing a local media analysis interesting information keeps coming to light. In the Toronto Star on Friday there was an account of a meeting held by the Provincial committee that is studying the Oak Ridges Moraine. Apparently there were two meetings held that day in the same place. One was called a stakeholders meeting, that took all day, and the other a public session, that lasted a couple of hours, I guess the public aren't stakeholders? At the stakeholders meeting, which was presumably made up by invitation only, the Mayor of Haldimand/Alnwick (I still have trouble imagining that one) Bill Finlay adopted his present title, Warden of the County, and made a presentation that was reported as being a cry for help. "We need growth to survive" he was quoted as saying. "If you tell us we can't develop here, what you are going to do is shut this part of Ontario down". I wonder who he is speaking for? Contrast his remarks to the remarks made by his constituents at the public session. It was reported in the Cobourg Daily Star that only two parties made pro-development statements in that session. I wonder which remarks will carry most weight with the committee?

Another link to an online progressive publication has been sent to me www.commondreams.org I found this article by Maureen Dowd interesting. There are many others from around the world check it out.

Has it occurred to anybody else that one of the reasons Downtown is feeling a little spry is because the Walmart store is not here yet? On that front I guess Madame Epstein must be busy this month as we haven't had any word from her about the Walmart case. I guess no news is good news!

- 30 -
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September 9th 2001
new this week:
opinion column
ramblings below:

a cutting from last week's paper featuring a story about the time capsule to be buried in the walls of Victoria hall.

Is this a joke or grim prophecy?

Thanks to the mainstream press we do have stories written about the land giveaway at Jubilee Park. However the bottom line hasn't changes but what has is the justification. "It is an investment", says the Mayor, "It will pay off in the long run", says the Town Engineer. But what about the taxpayers? $30,000 for a piece of land that triple in value once it is rezoned and the developers will pay taxes on. If that is the rationale that exists in City Hall: give land away to developers and we get full value because they pay taxes, the municipal anthem should be Joni Mitchell's classic song
first verse:
                       BIG YELLOW TAXI
                       They paved paradise
                       And put up a parking lot
                       With a pink hotel, a boutique
                       And a swinging hot spot
                       Don't it always seem to go
                       That you don't know what you've got
                       Till it's gone
                       They paved paradise
                       And put up a parking lot

It appears that we are being consulted to death, the anti smoking meeting last week, Spooner's Hall of Fame meeting and the Diversey property meetings this week.

On the anti smoking proposal it will take a strong council to go against both the Bingo lobby and the restaurants. Although the aim is laudable I fear that the whining from business will prevail.

As to the Diversy meeting the council is on the right track when they decide to let the public have a say. The real test will be to see just how much influence the public has on the ad-hoc committee. By the way does anybody else think that Councilor MacCaughey has a conflict of interest by virtue of his ownership of a building that is adjacent to the Diversy property? Surely anything done to the site will increase the value of his property thereby proving a direct pecuniary interest! I just ask the questions he has to answer.

If the Diversey meeting (to be held on the 11th - Tuesday) is only for the public to watch a video and to look at a website then what's the point. What should happen is that the public lay down the opinion to the ad-hoc committee about some guidelines and procedures for example:

the committee and council only manages the project and not direct it.
Terms of Reference must be developed that would ensure a transparent and inclusive process of community involvement take place.
The terms of reference should establish that only projects that have an element of cost-recovery be undertaken (we have to decide just how much the project will cost us to maintain)
All ideas must have an economic linkage to the downtown. If the project is not the economic engine for downtown revival it should not be considered
All ideas from the public must be ranked and evaluated according to public ranking tables. Everyone who submits an idea must know what happened to it and how valuable an idea it was.
There must be more than one public meeting at the beginning of the process and one at the end of the process. The CAUSE project succeeded because of the massive level of public inclusion.

Finally I know you folks are dying to know what I want put down there:
I would enter into a joint venture with one of the very successful sports arena developers in the continent and use that land to build a multi-function arena/convention centre. Consolidate the land and the parking all in one place and build walkways to the second/third floors of King St for the hotel accommodation. Think big. We do not need more green space that would cost us money in maintenance!
Besides, being cynical now, the public is already done for. The big bucks of the latest harbourfront development will demand something completely different from the public wishes. But let's go into the public meeting demanding input into the process and insist on terms of reference giving the public that input.

Coming back from Newcastle on the 401 last Monday at about 115 kph I was overtaken by a gold Chrysler Intrepid with the license plate PC-ONT, going at great rate of speed in the fast lane. I immediately remembered a campaign by Gary Dunford, the Toronto Sun columnist, to identify such a beast as it had been seen on the 401 doing speeding things (as it was on Sunday) before. The upshot of the investigation did indeed identify the owner of the car -- none other that the esteemed MPP for Canadian Tire (a monicker attached by Sean Conway to Steve Gilchrist, the son of you know who). This MPP as you know enthusiastically endorsed the first action of the Harris government when it banned photo radar. I wonder why?

Gleaning the pages of the local paper we now know more of the opinions of Mr Ron Dabor, not only does he not believe that Global Warming does not exist as a threat to mankind he also believes that second-hand smoke is not a health hazard. I am surprised that he actually drives a car instead of riding a horse! - 30 - to respond to this column click here

September 3rd 2001
New Content:
ramblings below

The only story this week is the way Council disposed of the Jubilee Parkland and the ramifications.

First the facts, on Monday evening the Council passed a bylaw selling the William St. road allowance to LinMac. Secondly a resolution was passed declaring some land in Jubilee Park surplus and selling it to LinMac. The price received was $22.680.00 for parts 7 and 10 on the plan (Jubilee park) and $99,836.00 for the road allowances (remember they were only entitled by law to half of it). The appraised value for the total land (1.6 acres) to be sold was $126,000.00

Scoop: the mainstream press pay attention to this.

The 'Burd Report's' investigative reporter has discovered that the Town will hand over nearly 75% of LinMac's money to the MTO. $90,000 has to be paid to the Ministry of Transportation for the lifting of the covenant that allowed the land to be sold. So the net profit the Town makes is $32,516.00. The evidence is contained here (an email from Rick Stinson).

So let's imagine the tabloid headlines, if we had one in Cobourg, take your pick:
"Cobourg's open for business"
"Taxpayers get the shaft"
"Council gives away parkland"
"A sweet deal for a developer"
Any of the above would fit, but the end result is that the deal is a deal and cannot be reopened.

But back to Monday night where it was apparent that the majority of Councillors just want this deal to go away. To give credit where credit is due, Gail DeVeau did put her neck on the line by questioning the deal. In doing so it was obvious to all that the answers and rebuttals given by both the the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were exceedingly patronising and not quite complete. I still think that the majority of Councillors still don't have a clue what they have done despite the entering into Council minutes, as informational items. two letters explaining and opposing the deal, from Miriam Mutton and the lawyer for the Bothwells. But what makes me think that ignorance or duplicity is at work here is the interview I had with the Deputy Mayor. 'Spoons' told me, in response to the question, "Will any money go to the MTO?". "No!".

My opinion on the deal:
In a world where political friends are as necessary as votes and money all three are contained in this deal. LinMac has financed to the maximum limits in some cases some of the campaigns of the incumbents, been nice guys in the game and come to Council often. So it is no wonder that that LinMac gets it way, and so they should they have been affected by the realignment of the road. But what is terrible about this deal is the lack of transparency and the methodology used in the negotiations. LinMac got what they wanted and the taxpayer got nothing. All should be judged in that light.
The equation is this:
LinMac paid $122,516.00 for 'open space land', (as an aside when asked why the land wasn't appraised at the "highest and best use" Ian Rogers told me, "Because it was not zoned for that!") it is not foolish to think that when the land is rezoned 'commercial' it will be worth three times that much and that the $122,516.00 will have only been loaned to the Town, on their books (LinMac's). Consider that Ed Pursey is looking for about $900,000 for his land next door. On the other side the taxpayer gets to keep 25% of the sale price and then watch as the land triples in value on the inevitable rezoning. the end result will be a "Red Lobster" built next to the major gateway on Burnham St. Never mind we have the politicians' assurances that the remaining land is more than enough to make a gateway look pretty?

What to do next?
I challenge the press (the real press as they like to call themselves) to ask Council why the financial information was not made public last Monday evening. It may not have changed things but it sure makes the deal look smellier.
Secondly this information, about the deal, should be widely spread. How many times have we heard the voters say, "I never knew that"
The last words go to familiar people I have heard from in the last few days. The first one shall remain nameless but is well connected to the LinMac family and is a political animal with long attachments to the municipal scene and is now plying his trade faraway. "Council realises that they will be criticised by all sides on this one. They just want to get the deal done and then forget about it."
And, portions of an email express other thoughts:
The case of Dudley George has now gone forward "in the public interest"....Glad that madam Epstein had the balls to stand up against Harris!! Hope that her judgment on Zellers leave to appeal is positive-glad that you are back with you commentary-Why commission a $
17,500 study on Gateways when you barter the lands away before the conclusions are made? The design of this intersection ought to have eliminated the Williams curve and created some commercial for the Town
to sell (so they could buy the oldest heritage site on highway # 2 with the proceeds and develop it as a heritage park)....."whatever Linmac wants, Linmac gets" has been my favourite tune...if they only created
GREAT subdivisions, or buildings, or stripmalls.....they are so tacky!!!!!!
cheers

FAQs of the Jubilee Park situation:

Why wasn't the land tendered? Because the Town doesn't have to and because the only logical buyer is LinMac as there is no access to the land from the street.

Why did the Town sell for less than the appraisal price? Don't know.

Why didn't the Town zone the land commercial before the sale and therefore maximize taxpayer equity? Don't know

Is this the end of it? Probably although people can object to the rezoning when it happens some time in the future.

Will there be any political repercussions? Probably not but it does little to polish the image of this council

In other news/topics:
Congratulations to Bill Patchett for putting the 'tin man' back on the Main St. However I look forward to seeing the video of the vandalism on "America's Dumbest Criminals" the TV show. That sculpture is too much of a red rag to the yahoos and yobs who like to deface public objects. A couple of skimasks will guarantee anonymity.
Congratulations to Bill Johnston who wrote his column this week without the aid of his email!
Best wishes to Wendy Brown who leaves the Cobourg Public Library in much better shape after three years of work as CEO. Good luck in Oshawa.
Brickbats for the administration and council for the way the taxi licenses were awarded last week. Even more telling was the treatment given to the appellants who spoke at council. Their concerns were quickly swept aside as council concentrated on discussing the mechanics of the bylaw.

Dates to watch out for:
September the 11th, the public meeting to discuss the Diversey lands.
Any day now, the OMB ruling.

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August 27 2001
New content:
ramblings below

OK. here is the first of the new season, as season-openers go it may be a bit of an anticlimax as content is a little thin. But I promise more when Council gets back to weekly meetings and obviously more content will exist, or will it? From what I hear this council has already been accused of not doing anything. Not from me, I just report what I hear.

The first up is the end of (as far as Council is concerned) the Jubilee Park compensation dispute with the local developer LinMac. I hear that the Town will get $127,000 and LinMac will get all the parking they need (134 cars) and the closed William St. road allowance (approx. 1.5 acres). The only thing missing here is transparency and a real explanation of the transaction. Do me a favour folks ring up your friendly councilor and ask them to explain the deal; I bet they can't ("it's not my portfolio!") The next thing to watch for is the impending rezoning of the newly acquired land for commercial purposes because the land has not been appraised at the "highest and best use" guess who get the shaft in this deal -- the taxpayer.

A bit of fun comes to an end. The poll setup in the last edition has produced a winner:
four people voted,
one for the out of town lady lawyer
one for Peter Delanty
two for "none of the above"
for a screen shot of the results click here
Enough said!!!

I went to a grand public meeting on Thursday night (as you know I am public meeting freak) and this one, about the water problems in Cramahe/Haldimand produced fireworks. "I am paying $65 a week for water and this guy (Mr Corcoran of CJC Bottling) gets as much as he wants for free, can I get some?" was only one of the many comments made about the the perceived inequity of one man being allowed to draw so much water when many have none.
The meeting organised by the Concerned Citizens of Northumberland to discuss the recent application by CJC Bottling to increase their water taking license. The man on the hot seat was Mr Kay of Kingston. He is one of six "Water Commissioners" appointed by the government o sign such agreements. However he is bound to listen to all public input before making his decision. BUT such input must be of a "technical nature" and that rules out anecdotal evidence such as "I have watched my well go down each year for the past five". That is emotional wailing and as such has no technical basis.
The interesting thing for me to see is the destruction of the people's faith in the political structure to be able to solve community problems. The only reference to the political system was a suggestion that he local MPP be invited to the next meeting. Politicians are now being seen as part of the problem so why should we meet with them? This is a refrain from the radicals at Quebec City, it now being held up by the locals in Cramahe/Haldimand. A completely different demographic but a similar complaint. I just hope that politicians are listening and try to get back their system!

Am I the only person who is hearing conversation about the County "deathwatch" Speculation abounds about just how long the County politicians are going to allow the CAO to be the CAO. Personally I think that the workload of councilors means that the effort needed to implement the consultants report will not be there. But I have been wrong before. Anyway if the CAO does have to be replaced (only because the consultants say so) replacements abound in Northumberland. Due to amalgamation and recent hirings at least two qualified replacement candidates are immediately available.

If anybody hears from the Superior Court can they phone me! Madame Justice Epstein's month is up and still no ruling on the WalMart case.

Is it just me or does the idea of a fenced dog run seem a little foolish, why don't they just let sleeping dogs lie and the status quo prevail? How many people have been put off by illegal dogs running in the park? -- 30 --to respond to these comments click here
PS, for a look at what I did during my summer vacation click here

July 21 2001
I am sooo guilty, you folks have forced me to write a summer edition. The reason is evident from this analysis click here to read it. I may have tried to take the summer off but you, the readers, obviously haven't.

Some Random jottings for the summer edition:
The OMB case. Messrs Oliver, Schumann and Zellers went to the big smoke to see the judge on July 11. At the end of the day (5pm) Madame Justice Epstein called it a day, She had said, in her introduction, that she only expected to be at it a couple of hours. six hours later she closed up shop and said "I'll get back to you!" It was observed that she looked worn out.

My opinion
Epstein can do one of three things
1. Support the developer and the government and the status quo by rejecting the appeal but she will have to do better than just say "I find no wrong in the Hubbard decision"
2. She can rewrite the law by rendering an opinion which defines "an apparent landuse planning issue"
3. She can turn the legislation back to the Province and tell them to rewrite it. This would halt all planning decisions until a regulation was promulgated.

It will all come down to the amount of courage Madame Epstein has, she is obviously taking on some very powerful interests in this case. A judgement may even shut down effective planning if the law has to be rewritten.

Reader's input

A comment taken from the Guestbook, I guess the internet is widespread as I must be in someone's search engine! This came from China.

A message in the Walmart petition from a Walmart Manager here press the "read the petition" button to see it.

Council watchings
A couple of peculiar events, first the parking issue and Mr Patchett. In order "To level the playing field and treat downtown just like a mall, we have decided to implement free parking. To do this we have decided not to renew the leases on free parking lots" Lloyd Williams stated, when asked if he had spoken to the owner of the lot that provides over 20% of the parking downtown, Bill Patchett, he said "No!". To be fair Williams had been trying to get him on the phone the very day council was due to debate it.
Bill Patchett told me, "I don't mind not renewing the parking lease (even though it will now cost him the $12,000 the Town rebated him on his tax bill) but not hearing about about first really ticked me off!"

As a past politician I can tell you that council only really hears from the public on parking issues (D'Arcy/Chapel and the Post Office) as past examples, so they should be prepared for the screams of outrage on September 1st from both the employees who used to fill Patchetts lot and now will fill the Covert St lot and pay $30 per month for the privilege and from the consumers who will now find it more difficult to get parking. Try parking on King St. these days for a taste of what's to come. As one merchant said to me, "don't talk about it", when I asked about the parking out front, obviously plenty of people had.

Next the race to be the CAO, gossip is hard to come by as members of the staff do not want to pick between Steve Robinson or Rick Stinson. So you do the picking: hurry up as the five minute bell has rung!

Don't laugh at the inclusion of Peter Delanty's name; oldtimers will remember that Cliff White (the present Chief of the Roads department in Hamilton Twp) was Reeve when he appointed himself to his present job, He did have the good grace to resign once he got the job.

Congratulations to Wendy Brown who goes to the Oshawa Library, she did a good job here but it does strain the Board to have to go through another hiring.

Talking about staff moves rumour has it there will be a vacancy in the small business office; still Cobourg's loss will be Port Hope's gain, just a rumour now.

Now to an ongoing problem Council has; how to compensate LinMac and Victoria Plaza without handing over parkland at rock bottom value (for a backgrounder read this). We are talking about Jubilee Park here folks, the patch of land at Elgin and Burnham St. LinMac has been discussing compensation for years now and appear to be getting nowhere. On monday night, in the usual back room, Council discussed the issue, no result was declared so amid the possibility of a protracted expropriation threat and an imminent compromise take your pick. Council's problem is simple how do you compensate LinMac without handing over valuable parkland to be developed as a Red Lobster and not getting full value or being accused of being sellouts.