Afternoon Delights

Some tasty snacks to keep you going with your afternoon coffee.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S NEW DIGS

I wonder if the Commission will move here since they are adding extra staff to tend to the Gazelle herd in our Economic Gardens. They need some prime space when the big shooters from out of town come here. Where they are located now makes a very bad impression.

Too bad Eddie gave away the Canderel space so cheaply. I guess he had not chatted with the CAO or the Chair of the Commission to ask if they were going to move. It could have been used by the Commission since it is such a good location with a view across the river. (Heck we could have charged market rates and the County would have been stuck paying for a big chunk!)

But no fear, Joe Mikhail of the Sutherland call centre fame has a nice building that he and his brother bought at 100 Ouellette. I wonder how many of the four vacant floors will be needed by the Commission.

They better hurry however because 3 of those floors are almost gone now!

I sure hope that Eddie in his dealings with Sandra and Dwight made them promise to send high-paying Government jobs to Windsor too. Not just to help us get call centre jobs. After all Lou Mikhail said:

• "Speaking of opportunities, local developer Lou Mikhail, who, with his brother Joe, was instrumental in luring Global Sutherland Inc. to Windsor, said a strong business case could be made for moving government jobs here. Instead of spending $50 a square foot on downtown Toronto office space, Mikhail said, the province could lease all the space it needs here for $8 a square foot. And there's plenty available. He estimates the real downtown office vacancy rate is a staggering 50 per cent.
  
  For government employees, if they could get past the nonsense they've read about Windsor, it would mean a real estate windfall, a relatively low cost of living and a five-minute commute instead of two hours of misery. "

Yes, a big windfall for everyone!

And a warning to the Commission Board and staff. I know the Windsor Club is at the top of the building and that their dining room serves delicious food. However, watch out for the Windsor Council Budgeteers. We just had the huge scandal over $35,000 of lamb chops and other dinner meats for Council meals.

You KNOW that they will check every line of your dining expenses over the next year to ensure that you are frugal. Isn't Elias Deli on the ground floor? The deli makes great corned beef sandwiches.

I KNOW the Councillors will be gunning for you, especially the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget, so don't slip up. And if they don't ask any questions at year-end about your expenses, I know who will.

SHOWING A BETTER BRIDGE ANIMATION

In case you wanted to see a much better view of the Bridge Co. animation than was shown on Youtube.com, go to http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/ and click on "View Fly Over Rendering."

COUNCIL AGENDA FOR MONDAY

Council Agenda for Monday, April 16, 2007 along with salaries and taxable benefits earned by the Mayor and Senior Managers for 2006 (not including the cost of Council dinners)


PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

PAC 1 Hindu Mandir Windsor, rezoning, west side of Enterpirse Way, north of Hawthorne Drive, permit a church on the site

PAC 2 1659579 Ontario Ltd., rezoning, northeast corner of Cabana Road East and Howard Avenue, to permit commercial development on the subject lands

PAC 3 362216 Ontario Corporation, rezoning, 4881 and 4909 Riverside Drive East, nine-storey mature lifestyles (retirement) facility (appendix)

PAC 4 Ford Powerhouse District Community Improvement Plan

MAYOR (EDGAR FRANCIS Mayor $118,967.72 $9,435.24 STAR reports That amount excluded the $36,733.56 Francis was paid in Municipal Elected Officers' Allowance...new total $155,701.28 in 2006)


CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER/STRATEGIC SERVICES (JOHN SKOROBOHACZ $174,905.25 $9,750.36)

No report at this time.

GENERAL MANAGER, CORPORATE SERVICES (HELGA REIDEL $125,579.52 $5,646.36)

No report at this time.

GENERAL MANAGER, PUBLIC WORKS (DEV TYAGI--recent hire, did not work a full year)

No report at this time.

GENERAL MANAGER, COMMUNITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES (MICHAEL DUBEN $152,538.41 $6,750.36)

No report at this time.

GENERAL MANAGER, SOCIAL & HEALTH SERVICES (RONNA WARSH $145,844.76 $6,730.44)

No report at this time.

NAME THE ROUNDABOUT CONTEST

There is a proposal at the Council meeting of April 23 to let school kids in the Sandwich area name the new Roundabout to be built at Felix and Mill after an historical figure, living or dead.

While it is a fine idea to suggest that this be done, I believe that adult tapayers should be the ones ultimately who make the decision.

So let me take a first stab at the name. I suggest calling it

"Windsor Council Roundabout."

It is sometimes difficult to know if our Mayor and Council are alive so that criteria is met. Why they have been going around in circles for a long time going nowhere fast. We may as well perpetuate their memory!