Council BS Session
I admit I couldn't take it. I lasted only about an hour and a half at the Council Strategic Planning Session and then had enough. I can't take this BS stuff anymore. BrainStorming, what else did you think I meant. I expect you'll read about some of the factual events that took place in the Star or on radio and TV.
There were some sheets on the walls of the meeting room with some of this information written on it but it was mentioned at the beginning in passing and then ignored. I would have thought that the Councillors should have made the Administrators steward to the various plans and programs that had been proposed in the past and then make changes if required based on the situation that the City is in today.
What boggles my mind is that the Councillor seemed to believe that it was quite proper to have a discussion about an important issue in the absence of citizens. Decisions can be made she seems to think at a strategic session rather than in Council Chambers so that the public can't know what goes on. But then again, this Council seems to run a lot of in camera sessions don't they.
One needn't worry however since the Mayor said that they could have more strategic sessions if they needed them. Perhaps one can be held before the next Council meeting or perhaps the next Council meeting on the subject can be deferred so that the Councillors can discuss this amongst themselves first to get a unified position. No point letting citizens know that people have different opinions.
I learned a few things at the session:
- the Treasurer pointed out that the City is financially constrained and that there would be difficulties taking on new projects unless cuts are to be made in existing programs. What he meant to say but was too polite to do so is that the arena is sucking up all of our money
- the CAO pointed out that we should not expect our public servants to do a tremendous amount of work over the next little while since 40% of them apparently are close to retirement age and he does not expect them to stay on even if the law entitles them to do so. With all of the days off and holidays that they are entitled to, we should not expect that a lot of work to be done in a very timely fashion. Morever, expect labour unrest as contracts are coming up for re-negotiation
- thanks to the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget I learned that our industrial taxes are about the third-highest in the province and that our multi-residential taxes are also up there as well
- it seems that people think that Windsor can be a retirement community except they forget that seniors need doctors and hospitals something that this area is lacking
- good to know that some people believe that finding jobs is actually important
- Unfortunately, jobs creation in construction is not too important it seems since tenders have NOT gone out promptly with many millions from last year still outstanding
- when Administrators were asked to comment on what they thought was important to do, I was glad that those who spoke protected their own fiefdom
- Greenlink was conspicuous by its absence
- the border was hardly mentioned at all while I was there.
The most fun however was the beginning of the session. Planning, Windsor-style, at its finest.
The meeting was supposed to start at four o'clock but did not get started until 4:10 p.m. At that time, the Mayor demanded that the seating in the room be changed. Total chaos then. An indication of how he thinks strategically I guess---at the last minute and in a reactive not proactive manner. The Jobs Today Fund is a clear example of this.
Initially, the room was set up box-like, in a manner similar to the Council tables in the Chambers. The Mayor was at the front with several of his Administrators beside him in long row and with the Councillors sitting in long rows on either side of him. So there were three sides of a rectangular box filled in but not the fourth side. The Administrators were sitting as if they were in the audience at a Council meeting in several rows of chairs looking at the Mayor.
Well that was not good enough for Eddie. Staff was called in and for 20 minutes they brought in tables and chairs to rearrange the seating so that the Councillor rows could be extended and so that the fourth side of the rectangular box could be completed with Administrators sitting there .
It was now an impenetrable box with the media and citizens sitting outside of it, obviously where we belonged. It is strange that the Mayor told Council to
- "Get outside the box."
And then he turned around and created one. Weird eh!
The other funny part, to me at least, was when the Mayor went around the table and asked each person to identify themselves and their position. Does that mean that some of the Administrators don't know each other or may not know who the Councillors are? Scary isn't it!
I really do not know what the session was designed to accomplish. For me, it was a waste of time when there are important issues that this Council must deal with now.
However, there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction as far as I'm concerned amongst several of the Councillors. Unfortunately, they do not seem to be at the boiling point yet. Or more likely, there is no leader yet on Council who is prepared to challenge the status quo and around whom the other Councillors can rally. Until that time happens, if it ever does, this City will stagnate.
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