Council hears unpleasant news
Tonight the Cobourg Council listened to delegations who wanted to speak about the harebrained scheme to spend 1.3 million dollars on an ice rink [get it right Burd, the estimate is now 1.8 million - ed.] Three speakers expressed three concerns: the process of the decision making and the rush to complete it without adequate public discussion, the questionable estimates and the projected true costs and finally the last speaker spoke about the usefulness of the project but please relocate it.
Of course the other side had two delegations: one from the DBIA who said "it is good for businees" and the other being a member of the disabled community congratulating Council for the wisdom of providing a warm bus shelter. There was also in the meeting a resolution presenting a large memo, that outlined the costs and details of the project, that was accepted as information. However when councillor Mutton asked for details outlining who made what decisions and when she was met with a stony silence. The most telling part of the evening was during Mr MacKenzie's presentation the Mayor was at first acknowledging his various points and prompts to questions as "Michael" when it became apparent at the end of his presentation that Michael had criticised severely all things before him, it became, "Thank you Mr MacKenzie!"
I think, and I hate to defend the rich and famous, that the residents of the harbourfront have a very good and defensible point of law. Nowhere in the documents before them, when they bought into the area was an ice rink mentioned, in fact the documents given by the Town, when asked, were the original plans for the park, minus the rink. So they have had their lifestyle and accepted norm for quality living compromised and should be able to sue, let's see if they go that far. An injunction at least to allow further public input, should put a crimp in the Town's plans and put the axe to a local plank in the upcoming provincial election.
Of course the other side had two delegations: one from the DBIA who said "it is good for businees" and the other being a member of the disabled community congratulating Council for the wisdom of providing a warm bus shelter. There was also in the meeting a resolution presenting a large memo, that outlined the costs and details of the project, that was accepted as information. However when councillor Mutton asked for details outlining who made what decisions and when she was met with a stony silence. The most telling part of the evening was during Mr MacKenzie's presentation the Mayor was at first acknowledging his various points and prompts to questions as "Michael" when it became apparent at the end of his presentation that Michael had criticised severely all things before him, it became, "Thank you Mr MacKenzie!"
I think, and I hate to defend the rich and famous, that the residents of the harbourfront have a very good and defensible point of law. Nowhere in the documents before them, when they bought into the area was an ice rink mentioned, in fact the documents given by the Town, when asked, were the original plans for the park, minus the rink. So they have had their lifestyle and accepted norm for quality living compromised and should be able to sue, let's see if they go that far. An injunction at least to allow further public input, should put a crimp in the Town's plans and put the axe to a local plank in the upcoming provincial election.
1 comments:
I hate it when you defend the rich and famous too, especially when they don't deserve your support.
For harbourfront condo residents to complain now about the fountain/ice rink is simply ludicrous.
Before they bought their little pieces of paradise, did they not notice the beach and harbour areas with all those boats and all those people hanging around?
Did they fail to see the roadway that snakes all along the waterfront, complete with parking areas for gawkers?
Generally speaking, if you want peace and quiet, you move to the country, not to a condo in the middle of the biggest tourist attraction the urban scene has to offer.
These whiners are like those who buy a house next to the airport and then complain about the noise.
Forget it, we shouldn't waste any of our precious sympathy on them, especially when they don't seem to want us regular town folk around in "their" space anyway.
Next they'll want the Waterfront Festival moved too. It's pretty noisy, attracts possibly unsavoury people after dark, and that ferris wheel out on the pier is just too much for these transplanted gentle souls to tolerate.
DJO
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