Just Add A Dash Of This And A Dash Of That

Just a few more goodies to have during your afternoon coffee break. Mostly non-fattening too so you can read lots of them

THE UNLIKELY DUO

How can one explain the Star's wonderful coverage of Dwight Duncan after the Federal budget.

Did you see the story with the odd headline "Bridge route project may begin in '08." Well maybe it could and maybe it could not. But did you see Sandra's name anywhere there? Did you see anything about why there is no money for a tunnel there? Dwight did point the finger at the Feds though on this:

• "But when asked about the province's powers over the access road, Duncan countered the feds are a full partner in the DRIC process and he expects "will want to have a say" whether the route will be tunnelled as preferred by nearby residents."

But did you see the headline on the continuation of the story on Page 4:

"Good news, says Duncan"

When the bad news come out about there not being enough money for a tunnel, it will be Sandra front and centre as she was with the Editorial Board story ("MPP Sandra Pupatello refused to take a position Friday backing the City of Windsor’s call for a tunnel to handle border truck traffic") and it will be Sandra who takes the hit with Dwight nowhere to be seen.

And you don't think that Eddie is running against her in the Provincial election! Sheeesh

HAVING HIS SANDWICH AND EATING IT TOO

In between mouthfuls, as I told you he would, the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget proposed that Councillors should still have catered dinners but should pay for it through a deduction from salary as is done at many companies.

After his grandstanding, and was turned down by his colleagues, what did he do:

• "the councillors and city staff enjoyed an au gratis lunch of sandwiches and veggies. Brister ate a sandwich and had a bottle of water before getting back to budget business...
  
  Brister said he didn’t pay for Wednesday’s lunch, but would welcome debating the issue with all of council and would support paying for his food in the future."

What a showboat! Why didn't he put his money where his mouth was and leave and go down to the basement cafeteria at City Hall and buy his lunch or brownbag it in the first place to show an example of frugality.

HONEYDO LIST

I received a note from the Chair of the Economic Development Commission, Remo Mancini, after my second email to the Gazelle keeper asking about Board salaries. His response as emailed to me:

• "You request is on my to-do list."

I hope it is to-done soon. I hope that people who want to invest in the region are dealt with in a quicker fashion than I am.

LOTS OF GREEN IN LANDSCAPING

My recollection is that the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget said in his campign literature that he was a successful business person. I never knew exactly what business he was running. Now I know. He is in the landscaping business. I do not know exactly what he does in his business--cutting grass, installing turf, pruning bushes and shrubs, weeding etc,-- or the name of his company yet. Here is what the Star wrote about a budget meeting:

• "In other budget business, councillors decided to spend $400,000 on trees this year.
  
  “We have an aging tree population,” said Bill Roesel, manager of forestry and horticulture. “They’re beyond their prime and we’re starting to lose a lot of those trees.”
  
  Parks and recreation expenditures were the big-ticket items discussed Thursday during council’s fourth day of operating budget committee deliberations.
  
  Roesel said the hike in the forestry budget will allow his department to rotate tree trimming services throughout different areas of the city and maintain them at a standard that are in line with acceptable forestry practices. According to those guidelines, trimming trees in front of households should be done every 10 years. Windsor is on a 19-year cycle as a result of 2006 budget reductions, raising issues of liability.
  
  “Under the current funding, we will no longer have the ability to assert that our tree maintenance is adequate which will make defending damage claims in court all the more difficult,” the budget report said.
  
  Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac voted against the additional expenditure, stating she could not justify the money when there are so many cuts to be made in other areas.
  
  But she did vote to include an additional $75,000 in the budget for watering trees. Councillors felt it would be short-sighted to spend money on new tree plantings and not enough on keeping them alive.
  
  “We have a huge capital investment in these trees,” Roesel said. “Trees aren’t cheap.”
  
  Coun. David Brister, who owns and operates a landscaping business, was in favour of spending the money. He said he receives a lot of calls from constituents who complain about falling limbs or dried up and dying trees.
  
  “We’re losing trees all over the city and I think this is one of the issues where residents are very keenly focused.”

How fortunate we all are that his expertise can be used during the debate over the Parks and Rec budget and that he can handle constituent calls about trees.

NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU CRY...

...Then they know they got to you!

It must have been very emotional for Jan Wilson. The Star reported that:

• "At one point, Jan Wilson, the executive director of recreation who oversees staffing in arenas, recreation facilities and community centres, left the meeting in tears."

I am aware of the reason why Jan was so upset but I will NOT BLOG it because then the particular individual can be identified. However, once this specific incident gets out in public as the Budget process moves forward, and it will, it will make the $1,000 for Tylenol pills for seniors look like nothing!

Just wait though until the new arena has to be staffed. Jan helped sell that concept as did the City union involved. If they both think that the arena will be staffed by highly-paid unionized City workers then they have another think, and more tears, coming.

I found it very interesting that "The city’s operating budget committee spent several hours behind closed doors discussing job cuts in the parks and recreation department.." I wonder if that includes cutting union jobs when the old east end arenas and centres are closed for the East End arena.

Here is what was to happen in Penticton, BC when Global Spectrum took over their new arena:

• 17. What would happen to existing City staff?
  • Four CUPE staff and three non-union City employees would be offered employment with
  Global Spectrum.
  • Staff who transfer will retain wage and benefits package and pensions are protected. Staff
  would receive further training and professional development through Global Spectrum.
  • Union staff would have the option of remaining employed by City in a different capacity, ifthey don’t want to work for Global Spectrum.
  • Non-union staff not wishing to transfer to the operator would receive a severance package.

Note: I am not suggesting that Global Spectrum is anti-union. For example, they have a national agreement with the Stagecraft Division of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts Union. It is a way that the City can reduce staff.

And I only use Global Spectrum since reps of that company attended at an arena meeting at Council. I was not sure why they were there but wondered if it had anything to do with this story back in 2001:

• Spitfires hammer out deal with arena operator;
  Windsor Star 10-03-2001, Roseann Danese
  
  
  The Windsor Spitfires will have a new home -- if it's ever built.
  
  An agreement has been struck between the hockey club and Global Spectrum, the company hired by the city to operate the new downtown arena.
  
  But no one is saying how much it'll cost to move from Windsor Arena to the arena proposed for the western super anchor site south of the Art Gallery of Windsor.
  
  Vince Bassman, the Spitfires' governor, said Tuesday a deal was reached last week and it's now up to the organization's lawyers to finalize the document.
  
  "We negotiated a memorandum of agreement, an understanding of what we think the business deal is," Bassman said. "It's just a question of making sure the lawyers' interpretation of our deal is what we think it is."
  
  Bassman described the agreement as straightforward, but he wouldn't disclose numbers.
  
  "The more successful we are in selling tickets, the more successful the city will be" in generating revenues.
  
  "We can certainly live with the agreement," he said. "I think it's going to satisfy the city and their needs."
  
  Bassman said the Spitfires hope to be in the new arena for the start of the 2003 regular season.
  
  The city originally planned to open the new arena by May 2003, but that may no longer be possible. Last month, council refused to proceed with final designs until an agreement with the Spitfires was in hand. Councillors also asked the Toronto-based architectural firm of Norr Ltd. to trim some frills on the facility. The issue will be before council in a few weeks.
  
  Meanwhile, the Spitfires renewed a lease agreement at Windsor Arena. The hockey club will pay $52,000 a year in rent during the course of the deal, which expires in May 2003, according to Barry Halliwill, the city's commissioner of legal services. The club will also receive a percentage of advertising revenues. The rent is the same as in past years.
  
  Councillor Eddie Francis, who wanted an agreement with the Spitfires before he was willing to proceed with the new arena, said the deal between the hockey club and the arena operator will move the project forward.
  
  But Francis said he'll be looking for a long-term commitment from the Spitfires. "What you want in a perfect world is the lease with the major tenant to expire concurrently with the debt.... You want a minimum of 20 years from your major tenant."

Again, according to the Star:

• "The city, at one time, hired a company called Global Spectrum in anticipation of building a downtown arena. But when council backed out of the plan, Global Spectrum's contract was cancelled."

WHAT DO TREES AND SIDEWALKS HAVE IN COMMON

Huge probability of punitive damgages claims.

I wrote about sidewalks before "February 28, 2007 "Windsor Sidewalks Not Streets Are Paved In Gold" and " May 02, 2006 "Slip And Fall On The Budgetary Crack."

Now litigation lawyers can use this comment for tree claims:

• " According to those guidelines, trimming trees in front of households should be done every 10 years. Windsor is on a 19-year cycle as a result of 2006 budget reductions, raising issues of liability.
  
  
  Under the current funding, we will no longer have the ability to assert that our tree maintenance is adequate which will make defending damage claims in court all the more difficult,” the budget report said."

I thought the Mayor was a lawyer and would understand this liability on the City's part. Interestingly, is the City in violation of its insurance policy so that there is no insurance coverage whatsoever?

OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT

How to save half of the $35,000 cost for dinner. Hold half the number of meetings. Simple. The Star reported:

• "The operating budget committee -- made up of councillors Halberstadt, Brister, Jo-Anne Gignac, Drew Dilkens and Caroline Postma -- has been meeting all week in an effort to find cost savings in the 2007 operating budget, which has been set at $418 million.
  
  A recommendation to return to bi-weekly council meetings was passed Wednesday, for a savings of about $46,500 a year.
  
  Councillors Halberstadt and Postma did not support the change, but the recommendation was passed by the other committee members.
  
  Gignac said fewer meetings would not translate into fewer working hours for councillors. "The reality is councillors work seven days a week," she said. "(The savings) may be a little bit, but it's moving us in the right direction."
  
  The issue will be debated and voted on by the full council when the final budget is set and deliberations are held.
  
  Halberstadt said he doesn't support changing council's meeting schedule because it sends the wrong message to constituents and the amount saved would not be significant.
  
  A previous city council experimented with bi-weekly meetings several years ago for a short period of time. That schedule was not popular, though, and Mayor Eddie Francis made it part of his 2003 election platform to revert to weekly meetings."

Actually, let's save the whole $35,000 for dinners and not hold Council meetings at all. Since everything significant is done in camera anyway out of the sight of Windsorites, it would be no great loss.

In case you wanted to know, here is exactly what Eddie said:

• "Weekly Meetings
  
  Council’s workload can no longer be managed on a bi-weekly basis. It is important that the business of the people be addressed promptly, expeditiously and in public. We have to return to a schedule of weekly meetings, and these must be held in public unless there is a pressing need for confidentiality, as is sometimes the case. The Municipal Act establishes the rules for deciding when a meeting must be held in camera and these rules must be given a more strict interpretation. The current practice is to interpret the Act too broadly."